Sparrow's Black Dove
by redmond
Summary: Adelaide Withers is determined to replace the Black Pearl and Jack Sparrow as the last real pirate threat in the Caribbean. The problem is that Jack is not about to be replaced...
1. Night Falls in Tortuga

Anything or any one you recognize from the movie is not mine and I have no claim to them. Anything that is new is mine and mine alone.

**Chapter One: Night Falls in Tortuga**

Night never fell quietly on Tortuga. If anything it crashed with such ferocity that Adelaide Withers was amazed that the town survived each night to see the dawn. She knew the streets and their secrets like the urchins that had lived there their whole lives, but she hadn't. She had lived her whole life upon the sea, running along the decks of her father's ship, climbing in the rigging with the sailors, learning the life of a pirate before she hit puberty. She had never in her life spent longer then two months together on land. And she was glad for it. She could not imagine her life any other way. She loved the ship. She adored the crew, for the most part. But there was one thing she needed from this kind of life that she could never get on land, Freedom.

So, intent on finding a way to keep it, she shifted out of the shadows and entered the tavern called _The Bride_. This was where she was to meet her informant. She wanted all the information she could find on this pirate that called himself, Captain Jack Sparrow. She was determined to replace him as the Caribbean's most famous and successful pirate. She knew that her ship was faster than his _Pearl_. She just needed a chance to prove it. Hopefully, tonight she would get that.

She pulled open the door to _The Bride_ with little effort. Apparently, the night before, one of _The Bride_'s patrons had gotten thoroughly sloshed and decided to try and throw another patron out the door while it was still closed. She wondered how many times the door had been re-hung or replaced in the time that _The Bride_ had been in business, Probably too many to count. Taking a deep breath she squared her shoulders and stepped into the tavern.

She had dressed to make a statement. And her statement had effect. All actions within the tavern ceased when she walked into the room. Literally, all actions stopped. Many of the men even forgot to breathe. Her eyes scanned the room. The bartender was so surprised that he was spilling ale into the lap of a patron. The patron was so surprised that he did not notice the ale. Adelaide scanned from one edge of the room to the other and back again before giving her hair a toss and striding toward the bar. There was an audible inhalation for many as if time had stopped and restarted suddenly.

It was not as though women were never in _The Bride_, just never women that looked like her. She was clean. She was dressed in tight dun colored trousers, high shiny coal black boots that ended just above her knee. Her shirt was a man's, stark white with lace at the neck and cuffs. Her coat was blood red, trimmed in gold. It too was cut very much like a man's. It ended just far enough down her back to cover her ass but short enough to give a man a good idea just how tight the pants were. She had a sword strapped to her waist and rested one hand on the hilt with the ease of one who knew how to use it. But once a person got past the clothes, even with the quality of the clothes they would eventually get to her face, nothing changed. People were still in awe.

Her hair fell like midnight against the white lace of her shirt. Its tight little ringlets bounced with even her slightest movement. Her skin was a contrast to both the shirt and her hair. It was a dusted gold. It looked hot to the touch even though it was winter outside. Her lips were deep red to match her coat. She had made sure of this by rubbing cranberries on them before leaving her cabin. Her eyes were emerald green and to many they looked like the jewels them selves. She had accented them with koi before she left the ship, leaving her with sphinx eyes. This addition made her eyes not only dramatic but striking. It deepened the effect they had normally, making her eyes the dominate feature on her face.

After all this, a person's eyes were drawn to her jewelry. Her ear rings looked like blood drops from her ears. Bold stones but with delicate gold filigree design. The chain of her necklace was simple. It was the stone that deserved all the attention of everyone in the tavern. A blue diamond of at least 20 carats hung splendidly in a bed of rubies and emeralds. Over all, the pendant was as big as the palm of her hand. Like her hair, it swung with her every movement. The light from the lanterns fractured off the stones and danced across the room. Shortly, it blinded the bartender as she approached. He lifted his hand to block the light and when he lowered it she was leaning against the bar.

"Wha—," for the first time in his life that he could remember the bartender had lost his ability to speak. This was a man who instilled the fear of god into brawling pirates. And he couldn't get up the nerve to talk to a mire slip of a girl. He shook his head slightly to try and set his wits to rights. At this movement, the edge of her mouth lifted wryly. He struggled but managed to ask for her order. "What's yer pleasure, darling?"

She leaned forward and said in a low purr, "Whiskey, Irish. Leave the bottle."

She threw down enough gold to pay for at least four bottles of the whiskey that he normally served. He had some new stuff that had come fresh off one of the boats this morning. It had been commandeered days before on the way to the Bahamas. Since it was a relatively new label and she was a young one, he decided that she would not have known the difference. He reached down below the bar, pulled the bottle out and set it one the bar in front of her.

Adelaide studied the label silently. _Jameson's_, she thought annoyed, _He is trying to stiff me…to bad he doesn't know that it is his own gold I am paying him with. _she almost laughed at the fact that it had been her ship that had brought this shipment in. and the ironic thing is she had kept the best cases for her crew's disposal. With her hands she signaled for two shot glasses. When he set two mugs down as she anticipated she leaned forward. He thought she might be ordering more so he leaned forward as well.

In a movement you would have to blink to see, Adelaide had the blade in her right sleeve out and against his neck. Her left hand had hold of the cloth around his collar pulling him closer so that she could whisper in his ear. Her eyes no longer sparkled. They glinted. His breath went cold in his lungs. Maybe she wasn't as young as he assumed.

In a low voice, more like a growl compared to the earlier purr, she talked into his ear so no one else would hear, "The money I put down should pay for a case of this not a bottle. I know that because I am the one sold you the shipment. The only reason I am not slitting your throat now is that I feel that every one is entitled to one mistake with out consequences. But count that, one. Now, I will take this bottle as a show of gratitude for not spilling your cheating blood all the way down this stinking bar. Next time a person orders a kind of liquor and is willing to pay for it what are you going to do?"

The bartender made a barely audible squeak. Her eyes narrowed even further. "What are you going to do?"

"Give it to 'em." He croaked. With that Adelaide, let him go, sightlessly slipping the dagger back into her sleeve. She retrieved her money, picked up her bottle and turned to face the room. Most of them had yet to say or move since she had began with the bartender. Spotting an empty booth in the corner, she headed that direction.

Okay. Please review. And be kind this is my first time writing for people I don't know.Redmond


	2. The Black Preal Arrives

Usual disclaimers.

Reviews would be nice. Thanks.

**Chapter Two: The Black Pearl Arrives**

Captain Jack Sparrow was still laughing when the _Black Pearl_ dropped anchor at Tortuga. It had been such pleasure to see the look on Captain Robert Gillette's face when he had sailed past the _HMS Dauntless_ while they had but into a bay for repairs. It had been such a joy to watch the sailors and marines scramble to try and get the _Dauntless_ ready to sail. Their guns got of one shot that landed very short. He had given old Norry a gallant bow and then ordered the sweeps to be hauled out. He had laughed the rest of the way to Tortuga and he was now ready for a cool rum and a warm whore. He and his crew had just deposited a good portion of their swag in the caverns of Isla de la Muerta, keeping plenty to spend on this two week vacation on Tortuga. They had been out to sea for almost three months and were ready for some leisure time.

With a grin Jack turned to his first mate Joshamee Gibbs, "The ship is yours, Mr. Gibbs. Half the crew on leave, the rest stays aboard the ship tonight. Tomorrow the next half will be off. Keep regular watches tonight. I'll be back on the morrow."

"Aye, Captain." Gibbs grinned, anticipating what he planned to do with his next night off. The sail of another ship caught his eye. "Captain, you may want to look at that ship. I've ne'er seen her before, but look at her sails, Jack"

Jack's eyes narrowed when he turned to look where Gibbs was pointing. One eyebrow lifted at the sight. The ship was a beauty. It reminded him of the _HMS Interceptor_ he and young Will Turner had taken, er, borrowed the year before. There were a few major differences. The most notable were her sails. Like the _Pearl's_, this ship's sails were made of colored fabric. They were not quite black he decided as he studied them, more of a blue. They looked like the sea at night under a full moon. Even now they shimmered in the moon light. The next difference he noted was the ports in the sides for sweeps. They were very unusual on any ship, especially one of this size. What possible use its captain could have for those, he wondered.

With a half laugh he contemplated the ship. The captain probably didn't even know how to use them properly. Jack's eyes were drawn to the name plate on the ships stem. _Midnight's Dove_. Jack thought the ship was aptly named because she looked as though she could fly. He had fond memories of the _Interceptor_. She had given a good chase to the _Pearl_. She had not caught her, of course, but it was a good chase all the same. With that thought in mind, he decided that this ship was of no worry to him. He turned to Gibbs and waved his hands in an absent-minded gesture. "She's a beauty for sure. But she is no worry to us. The _Pearl_ is still and always will be the fastest ship in these waters."

"Of course, Jack. I was just pointing out that she was new to these waters. It may pay to find out whose captain of her. Just for the sake of knowing, if you know what I mean. Never hurts to pad your luck."

"Truer words were never spoken, Gibbs. I'll see what news is floating around _The Bride_." Smythes may stiff you on liquor but his whores are mediocre and his information was always impeccable. He would make that his first stop of the night. Then he would look up Giselle or Scarlet. With that decision he walked to the side of the ship with his customary semi-drunken stagger. He climbed down into the ship's boat, settled himself into his seat and ordered the men to row for shore. This was going to be a good night. His lips curved. He could already feel it in his bones.

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Jack didn't even get to _The Bride_ before he heard the tale. He laughed at the absurdity of it. No mere girl could have held a blade to Smythes' neck and walk away unharmed. Most women didn't even talk to him he was so formidable. A sharp word from him had convinced many a pirate to take his disagreements outside, lest Smythes feel the need to become involved. Jack pitied the man who had begun this rumor. When Smythes got his hand on him it would be around his neck.

With a chuckle, Jack gave the door of _The Bride_ a good tug to open it. It almost knocked him on his ass when the door came off its hinges. Jack pushed the door off of him and stared down at his hands, had he really pulled that hard? Shaking his head he shrugged and lamented the fact that Smythes would charge him to reattach that door one more time.

_The Bride_ was unusually quiet this night. It was still loud with laughter, music, the random shout of drunken happiness or anger, but there was a noticeable tension in the air. Smythes served drinks in short choppy actions and snapped at his barmaids when they came up to the bar with orders. It seems, Jack thought, that Ol' Smythes has already heard the rumors and was not happy about it.

Jack fixed a grin on his face and made his way towards the bar. He slapped down enough gold to buy a bottle of even Smythes' over priced best rum. "I'll take a bottle of rum and some information, Smythes."

Smythes glared at him and then at the gold. It irked him to think that he would have to leave half of it for Jack to pick back up, but the girl was sitting in her booth in the back like she had for the last week. Her customary bottle of whisky had barely had time to breath since she sat down. Maybe the information that Jack wanted would compensate for his loss of profit. "What is it you are wanting to know, exactly, Sparrow?"

Jack didn't blink an eye at his sour tone. He just grinned. "Just two bits of knowledge, the name of the fool who began this rumor of you being bested by a mere girl, so as I can avoid being in his company at the time of his death. Don't want to get blood on these new boots. And who the captain of that new ship at the docks, the _Midnight's Dove_, happens to be. I am sure that it would not trouble you to part with this information. The former will die soon anyway and the latter must be common knowledge."

"The name of the captain of the ship in question is Adelaide Withers." Smythes contemplated lying to Sparrow about the happenings of the night in question, but he could feel the girl's gaze on him even now. "As I have felt her blade meself, I would caution you to avoid the wench. She happens to be the person who fills the first bit of information you seek as well. Now leave half of that gold and be off. I do not wish to discuss my disgrace with the likes of you, Sparrow."

"Half the gold? Have you suffered some injury to the head, Smythes, so that you cannot count coins any longer? This is the set amount for a bottle. It has always been overpriced as you well know."

"Sparrow, take your gold, your rum and leave before I decide to take my anger at the chit out on you instead."

"Come now, Smythes. I was just inquiring after your health." Jacks voice was all warmth and friendly conversation. "There is no reason to embarrass yourself further by trying to go a round with me. Do you remember the last time we went a round with each other? If not, I would advise you to look down at your forearm to remind yourself."

Smythes didn't need to look at his arm to remember the jagged scar that marked his right arm from wrist to elbow. Jack's blade had caught him in their only fight that had come to physical blows. This was before Smythes had opened _The Bride _and was running a dive in Santo Domingo. He had been young enough to think that Jack's stagger meant he was to drunk to fight. He had been wrong. "No, Jack, I remember. But you are not a spry as you once were. And you never know I might get some of the sparrow luck instead of you."

Jack took this as it was meant, a peace offering. Smythes was back to bantering. Jack decided to let it go because he wanted to investigate the whereabouts of the Adelaide Withers. The name tugged at a memory in the back of his mind that he could not quite see clearly. "Far be it for me to turn down a bit of gold." Jack swept the gold back into his pocket and settled into one of the bar stools. "So, tell me Smythes. Where can I find this monster of a girl that managed to pull a blade on you and walk aways unscathed?"

"In the back booth, she's been there every night this week. Damn distracting if you ask me—and bad for business."

"How is having a woman in the bar bad for business?" Jack scoffed.

"Cause with her here I have to sell my spirits at a reasonable price. Otherwise I might have to be facing that blade again. And I have a feeling she knows how to use it."

Eager to get a look at the woman who could instill fear into Smythes, Jack turned in his stool to get a good view of the back booth. His eyes took a moment to focus. A group of over zealous drunks that was dancing around barely holding each other up were blocking his view. He waited until they made their way to either the door or to the floor. Then he saw her.

His heart almost stopped. It couldn't be. She was dead. He had held her has the blood flowed out of her body. He had cried, trying to stop the bleeding. But it had been no use. While the ship around him burned, he sat there holding a dying woman. Barely more than a boy, not yet a man, he had sat there holding his captain's wife as she died trying to protect him.

More than eighteen years had passed and he could still feel the warmth of her blood as her life slipped through his fingers. He could feel the rough hands that had pulled him from under her body and thrown him into the sea. By luck, he had grabbed a floating piece of debris and held on. Alone in an ocean of the dead or dying he had vowed revenge against the pirates had attacked his ship. By the same luck that had followed him through his life, a passing ship had pulled him out of the water. That had been where he had met Bootstrap Bill. With his help he had been quickly assimilated into the ragged crew of a rickety old merchant ship. The pay he got from their miserly cargo had barely paid for food until he could get a spot on another ship. Bootstrap had gone with him. The difference was that their second ship had not been a merchant ship. It had been a pirate one.

From then one Jack had been on the wrong side of the law. With Bootstrap's help he had quickly grown accustomed to viewing the world with a slightly bent sense of right and wrong. He had never forgotten that time in his life when he had been, for lack of a better word, normal. The captain and his wife had treated me more like their child then his own parents had. He had never forgotten his vow of revenge either.

At the tender age of eighteen, he and Bootstrap had gotten together a good enough crew to go after the pirates that had attacked his original ship. He still remembered the feeling it had given him to see the realization come to that bastard captain's eyes when Jack had whispered his reason for the attack in his ear. The shock had come first and then the fear. Then there was nothing because Jack plunged his sword into his blackheart all the way to the hilt. He had walked away without a second glance. His vengeance was complete and he needed to move on and make a new life.

That is how he had come into the ownership of the _Black Pearl_. He had kept it for nearly three years until that mutinous Barbosa had taken it from him. After chasing him for nearly ten years, he had gotten his ship back and now life was settling back into an enjoyable routine. That was until a ghost had walked out of his memories and sat in the back of a sleazy port tavern drinking straight whiskey. He would bet that it would be Irish whiskey too. If it was a ghost, she would stick to the habits she had in life.

Jack threw that thought out. It couldn't be a ghost. Not that it couldn't happen, it just didn't follow logic. Why would she appear after he had already avenged her death? Why would she wait until almost thirteen years had past before showing herself? The only explanation was that she was real.

And it meant that it was not the same woman. The similarities were striking. The girl was a dead ringer for Lady Bridget. So much that Jack was sure there was some relation. There was no way that those green eyes that were watching him from the shadows could be from a different family. But who…?

The only way to find out, Jack decided, was to ask. With no comment to Smythes he snagged his bottle of rum and swaggered toward the booth in the back. He practically fell into the bench opposite hers. Without a word he took a long swig from his bottle. He would wait to hear her speak before he started questioning her.

She didn't say a thing. Quietly sipping from her whiskey bottle, Adelaide sized up the man who had sat himself down at her table. She knew who he was. The tattoo she had seen when he paid for his drink had confirmed her suspicions. Captain Jack Sparrow had taken the courtesy to present himself to her with little effort on her part. Now she could study her adversary at her leisure.

Her stare was slightly unnerving, Jack thought, like she had found something she didn't care for suddenly in front of her and was trying to think of the best way to dispose of it. He didn't care for that. Determined to charm some information out of her, he aimed his most disarming smile at her. His gold teeth glinted in the firelight.

Adelaide decided he looked like an over-grown twelve year old with a wig and goatee glued on. His eyes betrayed his age but that was all. When he grinned at her she was almost distracted enough to smile back. Until she noticed that it didn't reach his eyes. They stayed reserved and curious. Hers narrowed. How was it that this man was, by the accounts of many, the best pirate in history?

He wasn't much to look at. He couldn't have been much taller then five eleven, might have weighted a hundred and sixty pounds soaking wet. He had obviously bathed recently, that was a plus, but his clothes were worn and tattered. He wasn't poor; his money pouch had jingled loudly when he settled himself into his seat. His hair was long and formed into small braids with strands of beads randomly mixed in. His eyes were different though. Dark chocolate brown, lined in koi like hers, they pierced her. Causing her to wish she could look away. He looked at her as if she was a person he knew well but was still a mystery to him. She raised one eyebrow at him. When he still did not speak, she decided to break her silence. First she took another sip of whiskey.

"I don't remember inviting you to join me."

Her voice poured out; smooth with a hard bite, like the whiskey she was drinking. There was no doubt left in Jack's mind this girl was somehow closely related to Lady Bridget. Jack had been mistaken as to her age. He had guessed her to be barely twenty at first glance. Now looking into her eyes he knew she was closer to his age. Probably not yet thirty though. In these times, that could be considered old for a woman, but Jack guessed that she had a lot of life left in her.

"I don't remember waiting for an invitation," Jack replied.

"Your friend Smythes at the bar might warn you that I don't care to be offended. You would do well to take heed of my warning and leave." She placed her elbows on the table between them and leaned her chin against her fists. "I would hate to ruin another man's reputation all in one visit."

"Darling, it would take more than a small slip of a woman to ruin my reputation. It is a rather eccentric one although. I am sure you have heard of me; I am Captain _Jack Sparrow_ after all. I am things legends are made of."

"Your name has come up in conversation, however briefly. Didn't you have a noose around your neck less than a year ago?"

"Ahh, so you _have_ heard of me. Now what about you, I would have thought that a woman captain, who was actually capable of handling a man like Smythe and controlling a beauty of a ship like the _Midnight's Dove_, would have a reputation significant enough to reach even my ears."

"The Caribbean is not my normal hunting ground."

"Where would your customary residence be, luv?"

"Eastern coast of Ireland, the west coast of Wales, and the southwest portion of Scotland, primarily."

"What, here on a holiday?"

"Not exactly, I am looking to expand my hunting grounds. I think the _Midnight's Dove_ and I will settle into our rightful place in the Caribbean. I have to say I enjoy the weather here a site more then in Wales."

"Rightful place, eh?"

"Yes."

"And what place would that be, I wonder?"

"Well, Jack, I am glad you asked," Adelaide lowered her voice and leaned in closer. Jack leaned in as well, anticipating this bit of information. He was surprised she had begun to talk this freely. Nothing prepared him for her next statement.

"Why, Jack, dear, yours of course."

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I want to thank my first reviewer:** jennifer123** You are a darling and I thank you for your support. I hope that Jack lives up to your expectations. I also hope that you think that Adelaide is an equal match for Jack, well; we'll see where they take us.

I hope I have more readers then just **jennifer123** because having only one reader is almost pathetic.


	3. Conversations

Usual Disclaimers, I don't own Jack or any of the movie characters…dammit!

Reviews will be cherished, as always.

**Chapter Three: Conversations**

Jack just stared at the woman. For a moment he thought he had heard her wrong. There was no way she could think that any ship, even one as beautiful as the _Midnight's Dove_, was a match for the _Black Pearl_. The _Pearl_ was the fastest ship and that was proven fact. Jack blinked and refocused his gaze on Adelaide. There was no trace of humor in her eyes. She was dead serious. Jack burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

Adelaide waited for Sparrow to get control of himself. She wasn't offended by his reaction. If anyone else had told him this she was sure he would be right to laugh. But she wasn't anyone else. Her ship was the best and she was going to prove it. Her plan was flawless and all she had been waiting for was Jack's arrival. Now he was here and she could put it into motion.

Jack finally stopped laughing. Taking deep breaths, he tried to control himself enough to ask her how exactly she planned to do this crazy thing. Adelaide merely lifted one sculpted eyebrow at him when he leaned toward her. She was still leaning on her fists. With him leaning in toward her, their faces were less then a foot apart. She could feel his breath hit he face. He smelled strongly of the rum he was drinking. While sitting with her he had drank nearly half the bottle compared to her sipping at her whiskey. Normally, she would have mistaken him for drunk if his eyes hadn't been alertly watching her for every movement.

"Addy, Darling"

"It's Adelaide."

"Fine then, _Adelaide_. How exactly to you expect to accomplish this goal of yours?" Jack almost started laughing again at the thought of her trying to compete with the _Pearl_. "Are you going to kill me in my sleep or something? That may be the only way you get it."

"You are too self-assured, Sparrow."

"I believe the word is cocky, my dear. And I have earned that right."

"As have I. The _Midnight's Dove_ is the most feared ship in the waters around England and Ireland. So feared, in fact, it has become too hard to conduct business at the moment. So I decided to expand our horizons. The Caribbean is the next logical location to explore. I know you are accustomed to being the best in this area without a fight but things are about to change. I felt it was only polite to inform you before we started causing to many problems for you."

"Darling, I would love to see you try. It would be an enjoyable experience. That doesn't change the fact that the _Pearl_ will prove to be the best, but you can try."

"Would you care to place a bet, Sparrow?"

"I would hate to take your money so easily, Adelaide."

"I wasn't talking about money, Jack."

"What is it you want?"

"Let's set the parameters first. The ship that takes the most swag in the next month wins. Only restriction is that it has to be ships. Sacking of port cities and towns, or plantations is not allowed. Nor is poaching, if I am attacking a ship you have to find your own. Value is determined by quality not quantity. If you take more ships but I have the higher quality of goods I win. Same would go if it were you. Agreed?"

"Not until I hear what it is that you want from me." Jack was starting to have reservations. Adelaide had obviously been planning this for a while. It was time he threw a wrench into her plans. He needed to get control over the situation some how. He needed to set parameters of his own. The only problem was she kept distracting him when she smiled. From the way her eyes were sparkling, he guessed she knew exactly what she was doing to him and was reveling in it. "First change is the starting point of this wager. My men have been at sea for more than three months. They deserve their promised two weeks leave. So we begin this in two and a half weeks. What is that? The twentieth? Does that work for you?"

"Sure. I have some business to take care of and that gives me ample time to do so."

"Good. Now as to what you want?"

"I want the _Pearl_."

Jack choked on the rum he was swallowing. It caught in his throat like a ball of fire. He almost spit the mouthful all over Adelaide's smug grin but forced himself to finish swallowing and take a couple deep breaths. "You want _what_?"

"I want control over the _Black Pearl_. You would still be Captain. You would just take orders from me."

"What are you willing to risk in this venture?"

"The same, if I loose you get control of the _Midnight's Dove_."

"Not enough."

"What?"

"That is not enough. If you want me to risk my ship, you have to give me more incentive."

"Do you have something in mind?"

Jack was silent for a moment and then grinned at her. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."

"Well?...out with it, Sparrow."

"You."

This time it was Adelaide's turn to choke. The whiskey burned its way down her throat, leaving her in sudden need of a glass of water. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes She blinked them away quickly. She wanted to get a good look at Sparrow. He couldn't be serious. "Wha—," she coughed. "You want what?"

"You, Adelaide. It is rather simple. If you loose, I not only want control of the _Midnight's Dove_ but I want you in my bed. And not just for one night. I want you there until I get tired of you, a minimum of one year." Jack paused to let Adelaide take in this new challenge. He hadn't meant to say that when she had asked. He was going to ask for 50 of her swag in her first year under his command. He was attracted if he let himself think about it but the chance to sleep with a woman was not enough to risk his ship. Even, if it was Adelaide.

The sexual pull had been immediate. A man would have to be dead a month not to feel it when he looked at a woman like Adelaide. And Jack was very much alive. But sex, even great sex, was not enough to risk the _Pearl_. It was too late to retract the statement so Jack would have to hope that Adelaide would reject it. That way he could come back with his other arrangement. And she was more likely to agree to it.

Adelaide couldn't believe Jack had said that. He wanted her to be his woman? Shock quickly gave way to anger. How dare he even think she would agree to that! She almost refused out right but she bit her tongue. As much as she wanted to blast him with her fury, she had to do this calmly or Jack would have the upper hand. Why would he risk his ship for a chance to sleep with her? The answer to that question was simple. He wouldn't. It had to be that he wanted to use that option to get her to agree to something else. _Well, we'll just see about that_, Adelaide thought, _what would he do if I actually agreed to that ridiculous request?_

"Deal," Adelaide said coolly.

Jack didn't even blink. He stuck out his hand. "Do we have an accord?"

"We do." Adelaide forced her hand not to shake when she placed it in Jack's. When he let go she grabbed her bottle of whiskey, raised it slightly to Jack. "Cheers."

"Cheers." Jack lifted his bottle as well. The necks of the bottles clinked and then both of them were guzzling from them. Jack drained his quickly and set it aside. His eyes widened when he saw that Adelaide was still chugging her whiskey. She wasn't taking this bet as calmly as she seemed. It warmed Jack's heart that she was at least worried that she may loose. It would make it much easier for her when she actually did loose. Jack grinned as Adelaide finished off her bottle.

That was not a smart thing to do, Adelaide though as she tried to set the bottle down up right. _I think I may vomit_. She placed a hand on her stomach under the table and let out a shaky breath. After a couple of deep breaths her vision cleared. And she realized that Jack was watching her with a wary eye, waiting for her either to throw up or make the next comment. She grinned at him and stood to go. "Well, with business concluded, I'll see you on the twentieth of June, Captain Sparrow."

She wasn't as tall as Jack was expecting. She might have reached his chin in bare feet. Jack waited until she started to walk past him. He reached out and snatched her wrist. Adelaide's head snapped around to look at him again. "Did you forget something?"

Jack grinned and pulled on her arm. If she hadn't just downed a half a bottle of whiskey she might have kept her balance. She tumbled into Jack's lap. Her arm flung out for balance, knocking over their empty bottles. They hit the floor with a crash. Adelaide didn't hear it. Neither did Jack.

They stared at each other intently as seconds flew by. Adelaide watch in slow motion as Jack bent down to take her mouth. She inhaled sharply when his mouth stopped barely before touching hers. "Yes, Captain Withers, I think I did forget something. Deals like this are normally sealed with a kiss, are they not?"

Jack did not wait for her answer but took her mouth as she opened it to respond. She tasted of the whiskey she drank, warm and smooth. With one hand around her waist he pulled her closer to him until the handle of her sword bit into his stomach. He ignored it and drove his hand into her hair. His tongue rubbed hers urging her to respond. Her hands fluttered onto his chest. Her fingers dug into his shirt. Before she lost all thought, Adelaide recognized the feel of wood as he fingers brushed against Jack's compass. With out a thought to what she was doing, she quickly pocketed it. It served him right for taking advantage and kissing her. That was her last thought as she slid happily into the kiss.

It was hot and playful. Both of them feeling the other out, learning what they liked and what they didn't. Jack yanked on her hair, pulling her head back to expose her throat. While she liked what his mouth was doing to the skin near her ear, her scalp still stung. She decided to give Jack a taste of his own medicine. She threaded her fingers into his braids, got both her hands full and pulled.

Jack let out a yelp and his roaming hands went to his head. Adelaide waited once more for her vision to clear; all the while Jack was hissing in pain and trying to pry her fingers from his hair. She almost giggled. Here was the feared pirate Captain Jack Sparrow yelping in pain because she was pulling his hair.

"Don't pull my hair," she said slowly letting go of his hair. Jack let out a short hiss as the pressure on his scalp let up. Adelaide placed a quick kiss on his cheek and leapt out of his lap. "See you in June."

With that Adelaide turned and shifted into the crowd. Jacked blinked and stood quickly. He wasn't sure what he planned on doing but he didn't want her to leave just yet. It was like she had disappeared. He couldn't see her any where in the bar. Jack's eyes scanned the crowd again. Then he sat down dejected and signaled to the barmaid for another bottle. Well at least he could keep his vow to get drunk tonight.

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Adelaide hurried through the streets of Tortuga, rushing back toward the docks. She needed to get the _Midnight's Dove_ ready to sail tonight. She wanted to be well on her way to Port Royal before Jack surfaced from his drunken stupor in the morning and noticed his missing compass. When she reached the dock she was pleased to see the ship's boat waiting for her. Her first mate Timothy was pacing in front of it, frowning at her as she approached.

"You're late," he stated in a disapproving tone. "The _Black Pearl_ arrived in your absence."

"I know. Are all hands accounted for?"

"Aye, all hands are aboard and eager to be quit of this place. Pirate ports in the Caribbean are a decided step down from those at home, Captain. Are you still set on this crazy course of action?"

Adelaide rolled her eyes at Timothy's resignation at her current plans. He had been the only one in favor of remaining in their home waters after they had nearly cornered by the English fleet off of Cape Clear. She climbed down into the boat first. Timothy followed. Two of the crew took up the oars and set out for the _Dove_.

"Set and rolling, Timothy, I ran into Jack Sparrow tonight." Adelaide cut him off as he opened his mouth to comment. "We can discuss it once we are underway. I want to be in Port Royal in two days time. Hopefully arriving around noon, I want to make a show of it, that pompous little bastard of a captain, Gillette, of the _Dauntless_ needs to be brought down a peg. Imagine him firing on my ship when we have done nothing wrong in these waters, yet."

"He might have recognized us from the waters around Ireland, Captain."

"Not likely. I researched what officers who might know us are in this region. There aren't many and most of them are land bound for now. The stupid little idiot mistook us for the _Pearl_ and fired on us. It serves him right that we put some good sized hole into his pretty ship. It's too bad we didn't dismast him."

"How would we explain that when we arrived in Port Royal if we had?" Timothy asked pointedly. "The commodore will only believe so much."

"He will believe what I tell him and would have no reason to doubt me, as I am a Duchess after all. Who would suspect a Duchess of piracy? I mean really…that is what saved us from suspicion many times at home." They had reached the _Dove_. Adelaide started to climb up the side but stopped. "Timothy I have an errand for you. Stay in the boat I will return directly."

She nodded to the various crewmembers that were on deck as she passed. She entered her cabins with a hurried pace. It was better that she get back to Timothy quickly. He would not like her next order and would want it over as soon as possible. She grabbed a scrap of paper from her desk and a pencil. She did a quick sketch of the compass and wrote a short note.

_I hope you can find your way around with out me in the next month. I took a down payment on your future services for me. See you in June._

Adelaide stood back contemplating whether or not to sign it as captain or Adelaide. She solved the problem by just signing it _A_. That would be enough for him. She headed back to where Timothy was waiting impatiently.

"I want you to convey this message to the _Black Pearl_. Make sure that the first mate understands it is to be read only by Captain Sparrow. Only he will understand most of it. Then return here as quickly as possible. We will be ready to sail by then."

Timothy's eyes showed that he would rather protest this order but he just grumbled, "Aye, Captain." And left.

Adelaide made quick work of getting the crew roused to bring the _Dove_ underway by the time Timothy returned. Standing on the quarterdeck she took the helm out of pure pleasure. This was her favorite place to be; the open sea on a clear night with the wind at her back. Look out Port Royal, she thought to herself, you are about to be invaded by pirates.

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Thanks again to **jennifer123** and new thanks to **Rebel-Ravenclaw** and **Down2MarsGirl** for being my next batch of reviewers. I hope this chapter gets as good of reviews as the last.


	4. Adelaide Descends Upon Port Royal

Usual disclaimers…jack is property of Disney not me…but if my plan works he may be in time…whoops! Wasn't supposed to say that!

Read and review please.

**Chapter 4: Adelaide Descends on Port Royal**

If she could Adelaide would have laughed at the way the marines scrambled from the fort toward the docks as the _Midnight's Dove_ came into port. The pompous little naval officer who had fired at her ship days before looked as though his head would explode if he shouted any harder. Adelaide wanted to fall into a fit of giggles but her corset was cutting off her oxygen supply in this heat. If she let her control drift she might not be able to hold on to consciousness. She took a deep breath and fanned herself rapidly. Her crew was fashioning a boson's chair to put her into the ship's boat with less problems.

Adelaide had forgotten how hot the Caribbean could be in the spring. She hadn't been here since she was eight. Port Royal had not changed in the last eighteen years. The docks looked the same. The storefronts weren't the same but they were similar. Adelaide wondered if her family's home was still vacant. There were not may people who could maintain a house equal to the governor's mansion. She hated to think of the house her mother had loved being neglected.

The boson's chair swung over the side of the _Midnight's Dove_. Adelaide's hands gripped the ropes as suddenly there was nothing under her but air and water. She was lowered slowly into the ship's boat. Timothy helped her into her seat in the middle of the boat. She opened a parasol to block the direct heat of the sun. Shade wasn't much cooler but it was better than nothing.

The marines were taking formation on the docks. They actually were pointing their muskets at them as her men rowed toward the docks. What did they think? That they were going to attack the port in broad daylight with an invasion party of eight, including a woman in a dress that she could barely walk in let alone run. Adelaide had a feeling that this captain was going to be the most unintelligent person she ever talked to. They grabbed the bow of the boat when it reached the dock.

"Marines, arrest these men," Robert Gillette shouted. "Put them in irons."

Adelaide took the hand one of the marines offered her to help her onto the dock. She snapped her parasol shut and poked Gillette with the tip of it. "If you lay one hand on my men I will have your commission Captain. If you don't believe me try me."

"Miss, they are pirates. And that is a pirate ship. All of my men can testify that it was that ship that damaged the _Dauntless_ a little over a week ago," Gillette told her smugly. "There is nothing you can do to save them from the noose. Commodore Norrington is known for his lack of mercy toward pirates."

"They are not pirates. They are my loyal servants. If you touch any of them I will prosecute you for assault and brutality."

"They will be arrested."

"Then let your precious Commodore arrest them because I insist on seeing him."

"The Commodore does not see common pirate trash."

"Well, he'll see me." Adelaide squared her shoulders and narrowed her eyes at Gillette. "I am not common trash, Captain. I am the Duchess of Lockwood and he _will_ see me."

Gillette's chest swelled. "If you're a Duchess of Lockwood then I am the Prince of Wales."

Adelaide's eyes were cold when she smiled. "Then, after we meet with the Commodore, you can show me your family seal."

Adelaide turned toward the boat. "Come along men." She turned on her heel and stared at the marine who stood in her path. "Move aside."

The marine looked from her to Gillette. "Sir?"

"Put them all in irons, including the _duchess_." Gillette snapped.

One of the marines moved toward Adelaide. Timothy stepped in front of Adelaide. He was at least six inches taller then the marine. He stepped up until the tips of his shoes touched the marine's boots. "You touch her," he growled, "and I'll break you in half."

The marine audibly swallowed and stepped back. Adelaide laid a hand on his shoulder. All she said was "Calm down." She turned to Gillette. "We won't fight you, Captain. But I would warn you to stay away from my ship. I ordered that anyone who tried to board the _Midnight's Dove_ without me should be shot. And my men are just as proficient with a pistol as they are with the ship's cannons, as you well know."

She stood quietly as the cuffs were placed on all of her men. Gillette put her restraints on personally. His eyes lit with pleasure when he tightened them as tight as they would go. "Well, are you going to take me to the fort or not. I am sure the captain would prefer me to go with an armed escort."

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Adelaide held her head high as they walked toward the fort. As they approached the gates she saw a couple of children playing on the edge of the path. She walked toward them. One of the marines grabbed her arm. She narrowed her eyes at him and lifted her chin. He let go.

She bent down next to the children who were now watching the marines with wary eyes. She smiled. One of the younger children snuggled closer to her side. "You're pretty."

Her smile widened. God she loved children. "Why thank you. What's your name?"

"Phillip Christopher Allen Shepard."

"Well, Phillip Christopher Allen Shepard, do you think that you and your friends can do me a favor?"

"Sure." One of the other children, an older boy, cut him off. "Look, what are you willing to pay for this favor?"

Adelaide gave him a deadpan look. "How is a shilling apiece?"

The rest of the children in the group were suddenly vying for her attention. "That's more like it," she scoffed. "I need you to take this message to the governor. 'Lady Adelaide Lockwood is at the fort and requests his immediate audience.' Do you think you can remember that?"

"Of course, milady, but why would the governor believe us?"

Adelaide took off her ring and handed it to Phillip. "Give this to him." She closed his small fingers around it. "He will recognize it. I expect to get it back. It means a great deal to me. It was my mother's."

Phillip clutched his fist to his chest; his eyes wide. "I will guard it with my life."

Adelaide grinned at him. He couldn't be more than five years old and was totally adorable. She was sure that the door man would have to show him into the governor's office because there was no way that ring was coming out of his hand to anyone else. She stood and surveyed the other children. "If you return with the governor, I will pay you when I have finished my business with the Commodore."

She walked back to the marines and a very impatient looking Gillette. Her face went from pleasant to cold in less then a second when she made eye contact with him. "By all means Captain, lead on, lead on. I want to get out of this infernal sun."

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If it were possible the sun beat down even hotter once they were inside the fort. The foot falls of the procession across the courtyard echoed in Adelaide's ears. The shadow of the gallows sent a chill up he spine. It reminded her that she was gambling with her life. Every time the _Midnight's Dove_ took a ship she risked being revealed. If she were caught not even her titles would protect her from the noose. She realized it and accepted it as a fact of life, occupational hazard in a way. She had never actually seen a gallows up close. May be it was the heat, or the stench of the recently dead that were hung as a warning against the fort walls, but Adelaide was positive if she stood in this square any longer she was going to pass out. When Gillette stopped and ordered the marines to wait for his return, she nearly whimpered.

"Captain," She strode to the front of the group. "I said I wanted to be taken to the Commodore. I will not wait any longer."

"The Commodore is in his office. You will remain here while I ask him where you will be held until we can accommodate you for a hanging."

"It will be you who is hanging if I have my way. I will not tolerate such treatment any farther. You will release me and my men and you will take me to the Commodore." Adelaide was standing straight in the sun and fairly shouting at the stupid man. "Now, either take me to the Commodore or I find him myself."

"If you move another foot I will have you shot."

"You wouldn't dare." Adelaide took a step toward Gillette. It was all she could do to keep herself from strangling the man with her restraints. She was actually surprised when he actually pulled his pistol on her.

"I wouldn't try my patience any further. Do as I ordered and wait."

"No" Adelaide shouted at him defiantly and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "If you shoot me, you _will_ hang. I will take that joy to my grave if that is all."

"What is going on here?" the dignified voice came from the doorway behind the captain. "Gillette, I could hear you all the way in my office. Where is your self control man? Why is this woman in chains?"

"She arrived on the pirate ship that fired on the _Dauntless_ last week. She and all her men are under arrest under the charge of piracy." Gillette stood attention with a smug look on his face. Commodore Norrington's astonished gaze locked on Adelaide once more. This time he looked more reserved then outraged. She stepped forward head held high.

"Commodore, you imbecilic captain has manhandled me and my men, insulted us, and is now threatening me with a pistol. I am appalled at these accusations against me and my men. We are not pirates."

"Who exactly are you?" Norrington felt a headache forming behind his eyebrows. This was not the first time he had to clean up after Gillette. The man was forever causing him problems. The latest of which was limping the _Dauntless_ into the harbor last week with some crazy story of a pirate ship with colored sails that wasn't the _Black Pearl_. This woman was obviously well bred. He only hoped she wasn't too well-connected. If Gillette had offended some one important he would have his head.

"I am Adelaide Marie Kathleen Withers, the Duchess of Lockwood. I can assure you that the king will hear of this upon my return to England. I have never been so disrespected." Adelaide narrowed her eyes at Gillette who was starting to sweat. "I demand a formal apology be given and sanctions be taken against this man, immediately."

"Your Grace, I am sure he was only acting how he thought was best—"

"Well then, apparently, he should not be allowed to make decisions that would require him to use that excuse for a brain, at all."

"Madame." The commodore was cut off again when Governor Weatherby Swann rushed into the courtyard.

"Adelaide! What a pleasure to see you. You should have been here a week ago. Why did you not just come to the house? There was no need for you to present yourself to the commodore formally without resting first, child," Weatherby Swann fluttered.

"I too am glad to see you uncle," Adelaide saw both Gillette and Norrington grimace at this term of endearment. Adelaide smiled warmly at the governor. He was scatterbrained and stuffy but she was rather fond of him. She wanted to laugh as the rag-tag crew of children trailing after him waiting to be paid. "And I would have come directly to the house if I had not been delayed presently."

"Delayed my dear?" he looked questioningly at the Commodore. "Commodore what is going on here?"

With great pleasure at watching Gillette's face loose all traces of blood, Adelaide raised her manacled hands. "Apparently the Commodore and the Captain here have a different way of welcoming strangers to this island. I have to admit I don't particularly care for it."

Norrington's eyes narrowed at the change in Adelaide tone. She was suddenly acting like this was some laughable misunderstanding when moment's before she had been so angry she would have gladly taken a bullet to prove her point. He decided then and there not to underestimate this woman. She was obviously highly intelligent and knew how to use her position in life to her best advantage. Norrington wondered if she had married into her title or been born into it. Norrington's attention was brought back to the present predicament by the governor's outraged exclamation. "Commodore Norrington, what is the meaning of this? How do you explain arresting one of the king's own relation? My goddaughter? What reason could you possibly come up with that would justify such a move?"

Gillette, hoping to help and make himself feel justified, jumped in to explain, "They have been arrested as pirates, milord. They are responsible for the damage done to the _Dauntless_ a week ago."

He actually looked pleased with himself until he looked at the governor. Weatherby Swann was going to explode if he got any more agitated. "Pirates! That is preposterous. She would never do such a thing!"

"Uncle," Adelaide cut him off in a serene voice. "Calm yourself. There is no need for you to get over set. There is a perfect explanation for what happened, if the commodore would listen to it."

"Of Course he will," Swann let out in a sigh. He hated complications. Life should be simple and easy. He did his best to make sure that his ran that way. It did no good to focus on the bad in life, it just gave you ulcers. "Why don't we take this inside out of this woeful heat?"

"Yes, that would be a good idea." Norrington turned to go back up the steps to his office. Adelaide cleared her throat loudly. He turned wondering what protocol he had for gotten. Adelaide lifted one eyebrow and held out her hands. "Are these really necessary now that my identity has been confirmed? Surely I pose no threat to you. I have only eight of my men with me, hardly enough to cause any real problems."

"Of course, of course. Murtogg, Mullroy, release them all."

"But Commodore," Gillette protested.

"You have done enough Gillette."

Adelaide let out a hiss of pain when the marine removed her handcuffs. The skin around her wrists was raw from the chaffing steel, even though they had only been on for a short time. She was certain the marks would last longer then she wanted. A bad reminder of what would happen if she did not have her title to defend her. She reached into the pocket in her gown and pulled out her money purse. She motioned the children forward. One by one she placed a shilling in each of their hands. For many of them this was the most money they could every say was theirs. She grinned as they rushed off shouting to each other how they would spend it. The only one left was little Phillip. His head was bowed. She knelt before him. She lifted his chin with a finger. "What's the matter Phillip Christopher?"

"The Governor took your ring. I couldn't stop him. I don't know where it is. I can't give it back." He looked ready to burst into tears. "Is a shilling enough to buy a new one? Cause I'll go gets one directly."

"Oh, darling. It isn't lost. The governor was just trying to help. He will give it back to me. He is my uncle. He would not keep it from me."

"You mean I didn't screw up like David said I did."

"No honey you did wonderfully. Here," Adelaide pressed coins into his palm. "Take these to you mother and tell her that you deserve a feast tonight equal to the defending knight. Where do you live?"

"Momma and Papa own the inn near the docks. It's called the...Mer-mermaid's C-cove. There is a pretty picture of a lady on the door. She looks like you."

"Really, well, I'll just have to come visit you there."

Phillip grinned and took off at a run. Adelaide smiled broadly, stood, turned to the men who were waiting. Her smile died on her face when she made eye contact with Norrington. "Let's get this over with. I want to rest in the shade of the gardens later this afternoon. This should not take much more of either of our time."

"We are agreed on that, your grace." Norrington held open the door of his office for her to walk in. she sat herself in a chair near the window. When Gillette started to walk in she stood again.

"I will not tolerate this man's company any longer. Either he leaves or I leave. Pick one, Commodore."

"Leave us, Captain."

"What—Commodore!"

"I said leave!"

Gillette grumbled but proceeded to leave. The governor sat in the chair near the commodore's desk, settling himself in to the cushions. "Come, Come, Adelaide. Let's get this nasty business cleared up. Elizabeth has been waiting to see you for months. She will be ecstatic that you arrived be fore the wedding."

"Governor, if we could focus," Norrington perched on the edge of his desk facing Adelaide. "Do you want to give me your explanation, your grace?"

"Finally, it is rather straight forward. I was traveling to Jamaica to attend Elizabeth's wedding. While we were entering the Windward Passage your ship, _Dauntless_ I think it is called, came at us from behind. I paid it no mind because after all it was British naval vessel and the _Midnight's Dove_ is a British vessel. We had done nothing wrong. Suddenly the _Dauntless_ opened fire on us. I signaled that we were willing to surrender. The _Dauntless_ kept firing. So we fired back. It is not my fault my men are a better shot and my ship is faster than yours even when damaged. We put into Nassau port for repairs. Once they were done we set out for here. And you know the rest from there." Adelaide took a deep breath and fixed her gaze on Norrington. "Since I have answered your questions I would like you to answer one of my own, fair?"

Wary of her reasoning, Norrington leaned back to study her. "Fine, what do you want to know?"

"One thing how is it possible for an oily, infantile, fraudulent bastard to manage to get a commission in His Royal Majesty's Navy?"

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If you can't tell I don't like Gillette…I thank my reviewers again. And beg all my readers to review that way I can get all the input to make this story great.—Redmond.


	5. Girl Talk

If you recognize it, it is property of Disney and not me. If you don't recognize it, it is all mine.

Read and review please.

**Chapter 5: Girl Talk**

"You actually poked Gillette with your parasol?" Elizabeth collapsed into a fit of giggles. She and Adelaide were sitting at the scarred table in the kitchen of the Governor's mansion. It was late in the night. The governor had retired early in the evening claiming that the ordeals of the day had exhausted him. Even most of the staff was gone home for the night or abed in their quarters.

The girls had taken advantage of this and were picking at what was left of a sponge cake from dinner and trading their various stories of what had happened since the last time they were together. Empty bottles of wine littered the table around them. It had been almost nine years since Elizabeth had traveled to the Caribbean when her father had been appointed governor of Jamaica. Even though there was a six year difference in their ages, they had always gotten along. Before, Adelaide had viewed Elizabeth as a younger sister. She had been the one that filled her head with stories of pirates, treasure, and adventure. By the time the Swanns had left England, Adelaide had already begun making a name for herself in the water's around England, Ireland, and Northern France. Elizabeth had eaten up the tales that Adelaide told, not knowing that parts of them were truths from her own adventures.

No one in London society would have suspected that Adelaide was the pirate that was attacking their ships. They spoke freely around her because she was one of their own. She gathered information of trade routes and shipping schedules from idle conversation. With that she managed to take only the ships with the richest cargo that passed through her territory. She also kept good track on the movements of His Majesty's navy by keeping time with many well placed naval officers. This had worked beautifully for more then ten years. Then decision to change territories had come when, in a thick fog, they had sailed unknowingly into the British fleet off the coast of Cape Clear. By pure luck the fog had held long enough for them to slink out of the main part of the fleet and then put to sail and run for their lives. If the naval officers on watch had been a bit more alert her career would have ended then and there.

Thankfully, they hadn't. When they had returned to a safe port she had taken a vote from her crew and it was decided to move on to new waters. It had taken her a couple of months to pass around the information that she intended to visit her friends in Jamaica to the various social circles she frequented in London. While making preparations to leave she had received the announcement of Elizabeth's impending wedding. It had made her sudden plans to visit the Caribbean even more believable. Adelaide had not planned on actually enjoying Elizabeth's company, or genuinely liking her fiancé, Will Turner. But she had.

She regretted the fact she could only spend two weeks with them. But her wager with Jack took precedence. Her men needed action; they were getting restless. As soon as the wedding was over she would begin to ready the ship for a month at sea. And prepare herself for the biggest risk she had ever taken in her life. She had never put her ownership of the _Midnight's _Dove in jeopardy. If she lost this wager she would loose everything important to her in her life.

"Yes, I poked the puffy little twerp. I wanted to run him through, but my sword wasn't handy. His incompetence cost me two good men from my crew. How am I going to explain myself to their mothers? I would rather face the gallows than an angry Welsh mother." Adelaide forked another piece of sponge cake and gestured at Elizabeth with it. "What about you? From the gossip my men are bringing me from town, you and will seem to have enough adventures of your own. So tell me are the stories true? Were you kidnapped by pirates? And did Will gallantly race after you with the help of Jack Sparrow?"

"That's _Captain_ Jack Sparrow to you." Elizabeth lifted her chin slightly and then burst into giggles again.

"You sound just like him," Adelaide giggled around her mouthful of cake. Elizabeth quit laughing. She dropped her fork on the plate and looked at Adelaide in astonishment.

"You've seen him? You've seen Jack?"

"Three days ago. In Tortuga."

"Tortuga? _You_ went to _Tortuga_? Why would you ever want to go there?"

"All in all it was entertaining, slightly dirty, but entertaining. I went there to get rid of some things that would be hard to explain to the commodore if he went through my cargo. Weren't on my manifest and all. Navy's rather picky about stuff like that." Adelaide picked up another piece of cake. "What? Come on, Elizabeth, you believe that I am a pirate but you are surprised that I went to a pirate port? Where is that imagination I admired when you were a child?"

"I believed you ran the ship, and that your men were pirates, but I just didn't picture you actually doing the pirating and haggling over swag in a pirate port." Elizabeth shook her head. "But that doesn't really answer my question. Why did you see Jack?"

"I needed to formally issue my intent to take his place as the best pirate ship in the Spanish Main."

"You really are full of yourself, Adelaide. I am sure that Will would have a heart attack if he knew you were really a pirate."

"I think you under estimate Will, Elizabeth. He can't be that straight-laced if he lasted any length of time with Jack in Tortuga."

"I know. It is just that since we returned to Port Royal he has been so…I don't know…priggish…about acting correctly in front of people. It can get quite annoying."

"I believe you but I am sure that he is deep down a pirate. We get cranky when kept on land to long. After I have beaten Jack in my wager, I will take you both on an adventure on the _Midnight's Dove_. Maybe we will even visit this Isla de la Muerta of yours."

"You can't even find it without Jack's compass."

"Then the fact that I have said compass would be a plus, right?"

"What?"

"I palmed it when we talked in Tortuga." Adelaide giggled into her wine remembering that night. She shifted her hand into the pocket of her robe and pulled out the compass.

"How?" Elizabeth was still in shock, staring at the compass. She shifted her gaze to Adelaide and narrowed her eyes, trying to focus her very drunken mind on what Adelaide was telling her. "How did you get away with taking Jack's compass?"

"He was distracted." Adelaide picked up her wine again. In the back of her mind she realized she was very tired. No longer paying attention to Elizabeth she stood, weaved a bit, and headed out of the room in search of the stairs. Elizabeth stared after her for a moment, grabbed her wine and the compass off of the table, and then took off after Adelaide. She found her staring at the stairs. Adelaide looked at her and slurred, "I am not sure if I can make it up those steps."

"We'll do it together." Elizabeth wrapped one arm around Adelaide's waist. It took all of her concentration to get them up the stairs without falling back down. So much so, she almost forgot to ask why Jack had been distracted. She managed to get Adelaide to her room and into the bed. She climbed into the other side, snuggled into the blankets before she remembered to ask Adelaide. "How was Jack distracted enough to allow you to steal his compass?"

"Borrowed, I borrowed his compass. I fully intend to give it back…after I win this wager." She yawned and burrowed herself into the blankets. "He was distracted because he was busy kissing me."

"You kissed Jack!"

"He's really good at it, too." Adelaide touched her lips at the memory, "_Really_ good at it."

Elizabeth flipped onto her side to stare at Adelaide. "For some unknown reason, I doubt that. He is so…dirty."

"I think that it is all an act. He is not quite as despicable as he would have us believe."

Elizabeth was silent. It seemed that Adelaide had discovered Jack's well kept secret. She wondered what this would mean. If Adelaide knew that she was correct in her assumption, Elizabeth suspected Jack would have a lot more problems on his hands than just a competition between crews. This would be an entertaining relationship to watch develop. She just hoped that they both survived to laugh about it later.

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"You look like an angel, Lizzy," Adelaide breathed as Elizabeth stepped out from behind the dressing screen in her room. Because they were alone they had reverted back to the childhood names they had called each other. Elizabeth was the only person who was still permitted to call her Addy after the death of her parents. Elizabeth had wanted to be grown-up like Adelaide and so she too had required everyone to call her by her full name. But today they were just two friends contemplating the change one of them was about to undertake. Elizabeth was showing off the dress her father had purchased for her wedding. The dress was a stunningly elegant mixture of white satin under ivory silk. A cascade of pearls rained down the bodice and scattered across the skirt. The sleeves ended at her elbows; a delicate lace streamed down to her fingertips. Adelaide blinked tears from her eyes as she walked toward Elizabeth. "It's only missing one thing. Close your eyes and put out your hands."

Elizabeth's eyes snapped open wide when Adelaide let a pearl necklace fall through her fingers. "I-I can't take this. Addy, it was your mother's. Uncle Connor gave it to her on her wedding day."

"I know that. It can be your 'something old'. Since I am never getting married I will never have a use for it. She would be glad for you to have it. Pearls always suited you more than they did me. I am a ruby and diamond girl."

"I don't know what to say, Addy."

"Don't say anything. Take it and smile." Adelaide started to hand it to Elizabeth but jerked it back at the last minute. She raised her brow at her. "I want your word…that _your_ daughter will wear it at her wedding, as well."

"That, I'll give gladly." Elizabeth turned to look at herself in the mirror as Adelaide fastened the necklace around her neck. The pearls shone pure white even with their age. She fingered them gingerly and remembered her aunt, Adelaide's mother. She had always been so happy. Her clearest memory of her was of when Uncle Connor had arrived at her parent's home after a trip. Aunt Bridget had been staying with them for a short time. Adelaide had been with her father. Aunt Bridget had heard his approach before Elizabeth had realized he had been in the gardens. The sight of her running to him, laughing as she threw herself into his arms would stay with her for the rest of life. Uncle Connor had been smiling so wide Elizabeth had been sure his face would split. Aunt Bridget was suddenly even more alive. She glowed. Even with her young mind, Elizabeth had recognized what she was witnessing. It was love. All-encompassing, complete, total, unconditional, absolute love. Surprisingly enough, Elizabeth was certain that she had found the same thing with Will. It terrified her to the bone.

Her eyes met Adelaide's in the mirror. She was almost certain they had been thinking of the same memory. Adelaide's eyes were speculative. "Do you think that everyone has the chance to find what they had, Lizzy? Or is it a rare find, like a jewel found in the side of a mountain when the rest of the mountain is dirt? The pearl among the bed of clams?"

"I found it with Will."

"I know you have that is why I am wondering. For the last eighteen years I have been working toward the goal of continuing my father's tradition that I may have passed up my chance. Like you and Will nearly did, And would have if not for the intervention of pirates and adventure. Do you think that maybe I have had too much adventure and not enough normal life?"

"I think that you are still under the aftereffects of too much wine from last night," Elizabeth said dismissively. "That is a load of gibberish, and you know it. You have not been doing anything other then being yourself for the last eighteen years. The reason Will and I didn't miss our chance is because we stopped pretending to be people we weren't. You just haven't come across yours yet."

Adelaide contemplated what Elizabeth said. What was the matter with her? She had never doubted her destiny to be a pirate. Why was she suddenly doing so now? The answer was simple. Being captain was a lonely position for a woman. And having Will and Elizabeth getting married just reminded her of that fact. And it didn't help that her encounter with Jack had done the same a few days before.

Maybe she was just lonely. Well, that could be rectified in a quick fashion. There had to be some men coming to the wedding that could serve as quick entertainment before the wager began. She smiled to herself. Yes that would work. It wasn't Jack that she was attracted to. It was that she was that starved for male companionship. Well that would change. Reassured she grinned at Elizabeth in the mirror. "I am sure you are right. I don't know what got me thinking like that. I hate thinking depressing thoughts…last time I spend the night drinking wine. I am going to stick to whiskey like a good Irishwoman."

Elizabeth giggled as Adelaide slipped from the crisp British accent she used when talking to London society members into a thick Irish brogue. She leaned her head against Adelaide's hand that was rested on her shoulder. "You've never changed. Don't ever change on me."

"I'll do everything in my power to avoid it." Adelaide rested her chin on top of Elizabeth's head. "What would you say if I suggested that we sneak out of here and go swimming down in the cove like we used to at home? It would probably be warmer here."

"Sounds exquisite. Help me out of this contraption and we can escape down the servant staircase. Hurry, I think I heard father talking about inviting the Commodore and Gillette over in an effort to have them apologize."

"Well then, my good woman, fly like the wind. We have to get out of here."

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Okay girls I know it has been a while but I had to fly home for family problems and my computer is a desktop not a laptop. This chapter was not what I planned on but Elizabeth and Adelaide needed some downtime; it has been nine years since they have seen each other. Okay numbers wise…Elizabeth is twenty-one, making her three when Adelaide's parents died. Some of you may thing this is too young to have a strong memory but that is how old I was in my first clear memory. Adelaide is twenty-seven. She was eight when her parents died. I will get into details about the subsequent years later. Jack is thirty-one. His past has already been outlined…details will pop up later. I think that explains any questions you might have as to ages. If you find any in discrepancies in what I have already posted please tell me and I will fix them. It is hard to find mistakes when editing your own writing. Your eyes begin to skim cause you now what is there…now that I have rambled on and on.

I have one more thing to say "Please, please, please, please read and review."

….love ya all…Marti Gras was awesome by the way…drunken pleasures all around…friends woke up with tattoos, piercings, and strangers (perfect and otherwise)…good thing I was out of the city.


	6. A Wedding

Usual disclaimers, I own nothing that you recognize from the film.

**Chapter 6: A Wedding**

The sun shone brightly in the garden that afternoon. An hour earlier Elizabeth had recited her vows in a strong, clear voice; becoming Mistress William Turner. Adelaide had watched with tears in her eyes. She wasn't sure why but she felt like she was loosing a sister. She knew Will would treat Elizabeth like a rare treasure but she also realized that things would never be the same. Elizabeth would no longer be able to do the carefree things they had done as girls. The probability of an adventure that she could share with her friend was less then realistic. Even though Will had pirates blood flowing through his veins, he was a stable man at heart. He wanted a home, a life where he did not have to worry about the possibility of a hangman's noose. Adelaide knew that he was the perfect match for her cousin. He would ground Elizabeth so that she didn't spin off into a harebrained adventure and end up hurt. Adelaide had a feeling that Elizabeth would keep Will from becoming to sedate and boring.

They balance each other, she thought as she watched them dance to the soft sting music that floated over the reception. Adelaide was dressed in the dress that Elizabeth had chosen for her as the maid-of-honor. Around her neck she wore the same pendent she had worn at _The Bride_ in Tortuga. Now instead of hanging on a simple gold chain, it was on a thin choker that was encrusted with diamonds.

She stood beneath a palm tree, taking advantage of the shade and trying desperately to ignore the brainless chatter of the young fop next to her. He was the son of one of the island's plantation owners and had illusions of grandeur. He actually was dropping hints that it would be advantageous for _her_ to marry him. She had almost laughed out loud when he had begun talking about how he could introduce her to the best societal circles in the Caribbean. She didn't think that he grasped that her rank could open more doors then his could even knock on. His sister was chirping away in her other ear, trying to get information on the newest fashions in London. She had a feeling that either or both were hoping to wrangle a reference out of her for their impending trip to England. She was watching for a chance to excuse herself from both conversations. Annoyed, she fanned herself with a delicate lace and ivory fan.

The champagne in her glass sat ignored on the bench behind her. She preferred to have her head clear for this night. Something had her on alert. She couldn't figure it out but Adelaide sensed more than a wedding would take place this afternoon. Will's eyes kept scanning the crowd as though he were watching for someone to arrive. She caught his gaze and raised an eyebrow. He just grinned and leaned his head against Elizabeth's which was on his shoulder. Adelaide felt like she was waiting for the next shoe to drop. She reached absently for her glass of champagne while scanning the crowd herself. Her eyes stopped on Commodore Norrington. He was making his way toward her with another officer, a captain by his uniform, and what looked like an American at his side. She fixed a warm smile on her face and waited for them to reach her.

Over the last two weeks she had, through no choice of her own, been placed in situations that required her to get to know the Commodore. Upon closer inspection Adelaide had to admit that he was a gentleman. She would have enjoyed spending time with him if he wasn't a naval officer. It was a too complicated situation for her to become involved even in a friendship with the highest ranked officer in the Caribbean. It gave her to high of a profile. She wanted Norrington to write her off as nobility and believe that she had returned to London when she and her men left Port Royal. She would rather avoid a direct feud with any semblance of His Majesty's Navy. That would make her life entirely too complicated. She knew he was uneasy with her presence in Port Royal. She intended to make use of that while she was there. She found that she enjoyed confusing him, almost as much as she enjoyed baiting Sparrow.

"Commodore," pitching her voice into a soft purr she inclined her head as he gave her the required bow. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your attention this afternoon? Shouldn't you be congratulating the bride and groom rather then bothering with me? I am just a bridesmaid, after all, hardly significant."

"Lady Adelaide, you could never be insignificant." Norrington's lips curved into a small smile. He knew that the duchess was teasing him and he acknowledged that he was coming to appreciate matching wits with her. Their discussions always seemed to circle around a topic he was unsure off. He continually got the feeling that she was silently laughing at his confusion. He was determined to uncover what her secret was. He was glad that she did not have plans for an extended stay at Port Royal. It was better that she be someone else's problem. "I would like to introduce two gentlemen who happen to be very curious about you. First, is Captain Gabriel Kennedy, one of my finest officers and an adamant fan of yours, milady."

"Fan? What have I done to warrant a fan, Commodore, let alone an adamant one?" Adelaide laughed softly as she held out her hand to the young man. He bowed over it placing a light kiss on her fingers. His gaze met hers warmly. He grinned looking even more like a boy than before. His face was unmarked and very attractive. His shoulders filled out his uniform nicely, making him look very distinguished. His hair fell in golden locks around his face. The longer part was pulled into a short ponytail in the back secured by a leather strand.

"You put the fear of God into Lieutenant Robert Gillette, madam. That alone will put me in your debt for an eternity."

"Not fear of God, I think. It is more likely a fear of loosing his commission. And he has good reason. When I return to London I will be speaking to the admiralty. Hopefully, he will be knocked back down to midshipman." Adelaide's voice was cold. "His incompetence cost me two men from my crew. If I may be so bold as to ask, why do you take such joy in a fellow officer's misfortune, Mr. Kennedy?"

"It is not bold at all, your grace. I am simply returning the favor. Lt. Gillette took great pleasure in causing me as many problems as he could in the last year. Even if he is only reassigned to a new region, I will be a happy man."

Adelaide smiled again. "I have always believed that one's luck will run out if it is tested too often."

"Really, your grace?" Adelaide's attention was drawn to the other man standing in their circle. His voice was obviously American. His dress showed him to be wealthy, or at least to have the illusion of wealth. Of all people, Adelaide knew that one could live like a king on credit for quite a long time. She sensed sarcasm in his voice when he drawled her title. She turned her gaze toward him and froze. His deep brown eyes glittered behind tiny spectacles as he flashed a grin. Adelaide almost let her mouth drop open in astonishment. The man that the Commodore himself was introducing to her was none other than Jack Sparrow. She was speechless. He, on the other hand, was not. "I have come to believe that luck only runs out when it is not tested enough."

"How did you determine that, Mr…?" Adelaide waited expectantly for an introduction.

"Mr. Henry Milford, your grace." When he held out his hand for hers she just raised an eyebrow. To avoid embarrassment he turned that action into a flourishing bow. Adelaide kept her eyes on his as she lowered her head in an acknowledgement. Will and Elizabeth were making their way across the garden. Elizabeth was grinning wildly. Adelaide decided to have a little fun at Jack's expense.

Jack had been enjoying Adelaide's reaction but he began to worry when Adelaide's eyes began to sparkle with mischief. He had a feeling she was going to put him through as much awkwardness as she could manage. Suddenly the high collar of his ridiculous outfit felt extremely tight. He didn't loosen his neck cloth only because he didn't want to give Adelaide the satisfaction of knowing he was uncomfortable. "While I have met the Lt. Gillette, and have no great affection for the man, how is it that a gentle woman, such as yourself, can hold a grudge against any man?"

"Very easily, Mr. Milford." Adelaide lifted her head slightly at his tone of voice. "That man's incompetence cost the lives of two of my loyal crew men. He had the stupidity to mistake _my_ ship for that of the _Black Pearl_. Maybe you have heard of this ship, sir. It is captained by the most bizarre little man, according to rumors. Supposedly he can't keep control of his ship. You see he gained control of this ship years ago, then there was a mutiny and he lost control of it for more then ten years. He just recently got ownership of it back, by the good graces of his crew as I heard it. He always seems to find himself in the most absurd situations. If half of the rumors I have heard are true, I believe the man is just too ignorant to die like any intelligent scoundrel."

Adelaide bit her lip to hold in the laughter while Jack fought to control his reaction to her statement. His mouth formed a thin line and his eyes burned with anger at her. He quickly schooled his features into a lazy grin. "Your grace, I must point out that he must be a some what talented pirate due to the fact that _you_ have heard of him."

"Ineptitude always catches someone's attention and creates intriguing gossip, Mr. Milford." Adelaide smiled at his wince at her choice of words. "Not to mention, even my uncle can attest to the fact, that I have always had an obsession with piracy. As a child I found it a romantic lifestyle. Now as an adult, I find it better to know who it is that may attack my shipping lines. It makes it easier to battle them, I find. What are your views on the pirate scourge, Mr. Milford?"

By this point, Elizabeth and Will had made their way through the sea of well-wishers in time to overhear Adelaide's comment. Adelaide heard Will choke back his laughter. She nearly broke her calm façade when she heard Elizabeth's stifled giggles as she practically buried her face in Will's shoulder. Adelaide simply turned her look toward Jack waiting to see how he took her bait. He would be forced to denounce piracy to keep his cover as an American merchant. She hoped his words burned his throat. At least the boredom of the afternoon would be interrupted by the pleasure of Jack's discomfort.

Jack cleared his throat, throwing Will a glare at his swallowed chuckles. "I, like any well educated man, condemn the actions of those that would violate the rights of others. Pirates violate all rights of good citizens and all laws of an ordered society." Jack readjusted his spectacles and looked at the Commodore. "I believe that Commodore Norrington agrees with me, do you not sir?"

"Quite right, Milford." Norrington agreed,

"Does that mean you believe that people have certain roles in life, Mr. Milford?" Adelaide asked. "Is that not a rather unusual view for an American? All men are born equal and such?"

"In theory, yes, but in life men have to have a sense of order. Otherwise wouldn't slaves be able to argue their freedom? Surely, your grace sees the ridiculousness of this idea."

"Of course," Adelaide said dryly. "It would entirely inappropriate for a man or woman to protest the ripping apart of their family, the pressing into service of men who are not citizens of that nation, or the taking of the ancestral lands of people because of their religion. Completely inappropriate."

"Your grace," Jack said patronizingly. "You sound like a revolutionary. Surely you of all people would realize the danger of such beliefs after the unpleasantness in France these last few years."

"I am not a revolutionary, Mr. Milford." Adelaide shut her fan with a decisive snap. She almost snapped it in half, she was so angry. She was more angry with herself for allowing Jack to turn the conversation around on her then with Sparrow. Well she could make his evening just as hard by just ignoring him. She turned to Captain Kennedy and smiled. "Captain, I do believe this discussion is boring me. Would you indulge me by escorting me to the refreshment table? I do believe some fruit would be divine."

"It would be my pleasure, your grace." Kennedy was surprised at the change in the duchess. She had gone from obviously baiting the American to dismissing him mid-conversation. He held his arm out for hers.

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If he didn't know better Kennedy would have guessed that Adelaide had met the American before. As he had talked to Elizabeth before the duchess's arrival, he knew that she had not left England since her childhood. It was unlikely that she would have met Milford in London. Merchants did not socialize with the same groups that high ranking nobles did. Kennedy knew this from personal experience. He was the second son of the Marquis of Montclife. Since it had long been accepted that he would not inherit his title, Gabriel's father had chosen the navy as his son's profession. At the age of seventeen, he had been put on a ship as a midshipman. His father had wanted him to earn his position however high he rose would be by his own merit. While this was an unusual action for a nobleman, now twenty-eight Gabriel appreciated it. He had the respect of the men he commanded and his contemporaries.

Duchess Adelaide probably didn't remember him but they had met on one occasion before Gabriel had been assigned to the Caribbean in command of the _Resolute_. Nearly three years before she had attended a weekend party at his father's summer home. Gabriel had been home for one of his rare visits. They had not spoken save for a short discussion in the stables over the quality of his father's horses. She had left quite an impression on him though. He had even questioned his mother about her wondering how she managed to remain unmarried at the age of twenty-four. Lady Anne Montclife had laughed while she explained that Adelaide was one of the rare lucky women that had control over her life because there were no men in her family to give her orders. He had commented that he didn't think that was a lucky fact. His mother had just laughed, saying that he couldn't understand that because he was a man and had never had to deal with having another person decide every decision in his life. At the time he hadn't understood her at all. Now, three years later, he was yet again enthralled with Adelaide. He watched her whisper with Elizabeth and the idea hit him that maybe the reason she was so appealing compared to the other women at the reception was the fact she was independent. As he looked at the two women he realized that the common factor between them was their independent spirits.

He shook himself out of his contemplations, shifting away from the tree he was leaning on. Well, Elizabeth was now taken but Adelaide was still on the market. For lack of anything else, it would be an interesting chase. He reached her side and extended an arm. "Lady Adelaide, would you do me the honor of accompanying me onto the dance floor?"

Adelaide smiled warmly. "I'd love to."

Kennedy swung her smoothly into the throng of dancing couples. Adelaide was surprised how quickly he matched his steps to hers. Not many naval men danced very well. She eyed him warily. "You dance very well Mr. Kennedy. How did you come by this talent?"

"My mother required it of both my brother and me. My sisters dance decently as well." He eased them in to a gentle turn circling them around the edge of the dance floor. He smiled down at her as she frowned slightly. "Can I ask you a question, your grace?"

"Fire away, captain."

"Do you still prefer to ride horses astride opposed to side saddle?"

Adelaide's step faltered as she jerked her gaze back to his. "What?"

"You don't remember me do you? Three years ago, Montclife estates. My sister's engagement reception…" he waited for her memory to catch on.

"Montclife…" her voice trailed off. "You were that arrogant young twit in the stables. Now I remember. As I recall you were rather snobbish about the fact you thought I was a bad influence on your youngest sister Becky."

"Twit?" Kennedy choked on the word.

"Well, you were acting like one. If I remember correctly, you used some weak metaphor comparing spirited horses to women. Something about how they are only happy once they submit to the guidance of a man. Do you still believe that load of…hogwash?"

Kennedy cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Let's just say that I have been …educated over the last three years."

"I was surprised you had managed to survive past adolescence with those ideas when you have sisters like Abby and Caroline."

"Well they were really innovative at hiding their adventures, At least from me."

"I'll wager that your mother knows every detail. Mothers are like that. I would also wager your mother knows the truth behind every lie you told her. Mine always knew when I was trying to get away with something." Adelaide smiled at Kennedy's uneasiness. As the music ended, Kennedy led her back toward the table were Elizabeth and Will sat talking quietly. Adelaide caught Jack glaring at Kennedy. His glare intensified when Kennedy placed his hand on her elbow to lead her through the crowd. The thought hit her like a ton of bricks, Jack was jealous! Well, let's see where that can take us, Adelaide thought gleefully.


	7. Jealous Thoughts

Disclaimers: I own only the characters that have come from my own mind. All others are property of the Mouse…

**Chapter 7: Jealous Thoughts**

Jack swirled the wine in his glass. He had been watching Adelaide for an hour now. She and that Captain were sitting at a side table sipping champagne, and engaging in, from what he could see was a deep conversation. His eyes narrowed as Adelaide's hand settled softly on Kennedy's arm for a brief second. Jack wondered what they were talking about. He couldn't hear the conversation because of the music but Adelaide was obviously arguing passionately for her cause. Her whole body was animated while she talked. Her hands moved quickly, her gaze was steady and intense. Even from across the room Jack was affected by her spirit. Jack had no doubt Kennedy was having similar thoughts to his since Kennedy was receiving a direct assault of Adelaide's attention.

Will was trying to pull him into a conversation but Jack kept getting distracted by something Adelaide would do out of the corner of his eye. He could almost swear that she was watching for his reaction before she did anything encouraging toward Kennedy. He glared in her direction when they made eye contact. Will caught his attention again.

"Why are you acting like this, Jack?"

"Like what, my man?" Jack said absently as he leaned back in his chair trying to see around the chit that was trying to weasel her way into Adelaide's good graces.

"Distracted, actually you seem to be paying an awful lot of attention to Elizabeth's cousin Adelaide. Unusual for you to be so enthralled with only one woman."

"I am not enthralled, young William," Jacks tone was sharp as he twisted his ring around on his finger. Adelaide's hand was still on Kennedy's arm. "I am merely protecting my investment."

"Your investment? What, do you plan to kidnap the duchess and hold her for ransom?"

"Are you insane, Will?" Jack choked on his wine. "Kidnapping Adelaide would be the stupidest move of my career. More of a headache than she is worth. That woman would prove to be the largest pain in the arse that I have yet to encounter…even more the Anamaria…ah, Anamaria."

Jack smiled wistfully. "Too bad she decided to run her own ship. I could use her in the coming month."

Will's eyes narrowed. "What are you cooking up, Jack?"

"Cooking? I am not cooking anything, boy." Jack picked up a peach and bit into it. He smiled and talked around his mouth full of fruit, "I think you might want to talk to your darling wife, Will. There are some key facts about her lovely cousin that you seem to have missed."

"Why do you always talk in riddles, Jack?"

"Cause, if I didn't you wouldn't feel that sense of satisfaction when you finally figure out what topic I happen to be articulating about."

"Not to mention that he gets to use big fancy words like 'articulating'," Elizabeth's voice came from behind Jack making him jolt. His hands fluttered a bit and his dropped his peach in his lap. He jumped up, hissing his annoyance, grabbing for one of the pristine cloth napkins. He wiped ardently as the smear of fruit on his velvet coat.

"Damn it, Elizabeth, why do you have to do that? This coat is new and it might come in handy later. I am no wash woman. If this gets stained it stays stained and then how could I mingle with all the lovely women here?" He grinned when Elizabeth just kissed him on the cheek and settled herself into the chair next to Will. Will reached over and scooted her chair closer to his side. Jack smirked. "You know, Elizabeth, it is never too late for us. We could be on the _Pearl_ within the hour. I can assure you that you would have more of an adventure with me than you ever would with this little scrap of a pup."

Elizabeth chucked and snuggled into Will's side. "Jack, you could never compare to Will." She slid a look in Adelaide's direction. "I have a feeling that our life will be full of unseen adventures."

"Why do I feel like there is some important piece of information that I have missed?" Will raised an eyebrow at Jack. "Why do I believe that I need to be on my guard in the coming months?"

"You're the one who decided to marry some one like Elizabeth, here. Always getting herself into trouble, she is. You would have been better off leaving her in the hands of Norrington. It would have pleased me greatly to think of him with such a headache." Jack laughed heartily when Elizabeth merely stuck her tongue out at him and laid her head on Will's shoulder.

Jack realized that at least with Elizabeth here she would distract Will and he could get back to keeping tabs on Adelaide. When he looked back towards Adelaide and Kennedy, he noticed Norrington had joined them. Now Adelaide was in an easy conversation with both navy men. It amazed Jack how calm she was talking to the very men who could have her hung for what was her chosen profession. It was something he had never been totally comfortable with. Even now he had a suspicion that Norrington knew exactly who he was but was ignoring it out of respect for Elizabeth. As for Adelaide…Jack wished he would be present to see Norrington's reaction if he ever found out just how far her 'obsession' with piracy had taken her. He smiled slightly when Adelaide laughed fully at something the captain said. She was so much like her mother. How is it that Captain Connor and Lady Bridget's daughter had become a pirate? Why would she choose to risk her life when she had been born into a position in life that didn't require it of her? Jack shook himself out of that line of thought. It would only give him a headache to try to analyze Adelaide. It would be easier to just deal with her as the situations came.

He shifted his gaze back to Elizabeth for a moment. He watched Will softly trace the pearls at her throat. Jack sat up a little straighter. That necklace was familiar. He couldn't place where he'd seen it but he had definitely seen it before. "Elizabeth, my dear, how did you come by that trinket you wear around your throat?"

Elizabeth's eyes clouded a bit as she reached to place her fingers over Will's at her throat. "From Adelaide, they belonged to my aunt, Adelaide's mother. My Uncle Connor gave them to her on their wedding day."

"Lady Adelaide's parents? I am curious as to what type of people would produce a woman like Adelaide. She is hardly what I would assume a noble woman would be."

"Adelaide is a product of her own making. Uncle Connor and Aunt Adelaide died when their ship was attacked by pirates traveling here in the Caribbean. Adelaide was eight. She was left in the care of Uncle Connor's younger brother. Father petitioned the courts to have her become his ward but her uncle Franklin won the suit. She was the only heir to the family fortune and the king thought it best for control of the fortune to stay within that branch of the family, fat lot of good that was."

"Meaning what exactly?" Jack was fishing for information. He knew that Elizabeth realized this. She would only tell him what she thought he should know and what he would be able to find out anyway. Any information that had passed from Adelaide to Elizabeth in confidence would be privileged and be held sacrosanct.

"Franklin had managed to run through the bulk of the money by the time Adelaide turned fifteen. His solution was to try to sell her in marriage to the highest bidder who wanted to marry noble blood. Thankfully the bastard died before he could accomplish his goal. This left Adelaide responsible for the wellbeing of many of the family members, Franklin's wife and children, for example. With barely any funds left to invest, Adelaide put them into re-outfitting her father's former ship, the _Midnight's Dove_. The family believes that she used the _Midnight's Dove_ to found a shipping dynasty. In a way she did but the goods that she first brought back were pirated, not bought out right. Now she does manage a large shipping business but still keeps the _Dove_ as her personal adventure."

"Are there no men in the family left who would take control from Adelaide?"

"Franklin's son, Aidan, is now old enough to assume control but he would not dare. Adelaide has made it perfectly obvious that she would with hold the title from him if he tried to take control before the event of her death. Right now she has named him as her heir, as she has no children of her own. He would not risk her anger. Not to mention from all accounts they get along with each other well enough. He was just a child when Franklin died. Adelaide should have made sure that he was removed from the poisonous influence of his witch of a mother. Lady Jessica is certifiable beyond all doubts. If Adelaide had not taken over Aidan's education Lady Jessica would have turned him into the same sort of man his father is reputed to be. A gamester and an over all rake." Elizabeth sighed and picked up her wine glass.

She sipped it while contemplating Jack over the rim. She wondered how much information she should reveal. Jack did not need to know everything but she wanted to tempt him into wanting to know more. Elizabeth was sure that Adelaide and Jack were a perfect match. And she intended for them to keep bumping into one another even after this foolish wager was done with. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Jack. Maybe it was better for Jack to know a bit more. If he was informed then he would be better prepared for what was bound to happen.

"Aidan is now one and twenty and enjoys the fruits of Adelaide's labors to the greatest effects. As a child I thought him to be quite agreeable. Papa actually contemplated a match between us at one point. That was until Adelaide forbade it. She has always had both Aidan's and mine happiness in the forethought. She was no doubt right. He is much too timid to suit me. He is quite content to spend his time in the never ending social swirl of the _ton_. Now since Adelaide is well past the marriageable age he is satisfied to wait for his title. I believe that he would rather that Adelaide continue to hold the weight of head of the family for the foreseeable future. He is still very much the young boy and has no want for the responsibilities it takes to run a successful business venture."

"It is not Aidan that I would worry about, Lizzy." Will broke his silence. He wanted as much as Elizabeth to warn Jack of what complications he would find if Jack decided to embark on a partnership with Adelaide. Elizabeth had informed him of the interesting attraction her cousin and Jack. She had also informed him of Adelaide's preferred vocation in life. While he had been annoyed at being kept in the dark, he had not been surprised with Adelaide's activities. Someone had to have fueled Elizabeth's addiction to adventure and Adelaide was her own private heroine. Because he was indebted to Adelaide for dissuading Governor Swann from an allegiance between Elizabeth and Aidan, he decided to help Elizabeth with her plan to throw Adelaide and Jack together as often as possible. "It is Lady Jessica who has made it her life's mission to ruin Adelaide's. She took great pleasure in demeaning Addy in favor of her own daughters. Dead bores those girls are. Not a half a brain to share between the two of them."

"Adelaide has assured me that Lady Jessica is harmless, Will. She would not want to threaten her position in society. A position she only has because of Adelaide." Will picked up his own drink and drained it. He waned to get the bitter taste out of his mouth that came when ever he had to speak of Lady Jessica. The woman was truly dangerous in his mind. He wished Adelaide had put her in Bedlam years ago when she had had the chance. "Elizabeth and Adelaide refuse to write her off as the crackbrain she is."

"Not all snakes have to be poisonous to be deadly, Elizabeth," Jack said this looking back towards were Adelaide was seated. Now at least he understood what her initial motives had been.

"Those are my sentiments but Adelaide guarantees that if her death comes under questionable circumstances Aidan will inherit only the title and none of the money. That is significant threat I think to keep Lady Jessica from trying to hurry things along." Will glanced meaningfully at Jack.

"What if her…activities, let's call them, are exposed? What then?"

"She would never want such a stain on the family name. She thinks way too highly of the blood line to want any kind of mark against them become public knowledge."

Still, Jack thought, what was the reason behind her sudden decision to move her base of operations from England to the Caribbean? Was she running from something? Someone? Adelaide distracted him from these thought be standing up from her table with Kennedy. Kennedy stood as well. She offered him her hand and he kissed it very friendlily, much too familiarly for Jack's comfort. With that and a small bow, he walked smoothly away with a content smile on his face. He stopped briefly to wish health and happiness to Elizabeth and Will. He might have lingered longer but he kept checking his watch as if he needed to meet someone. It was almost perfectly timed that as soon as Kennedy left Adelaide approached their table.

Ignoring Jack completely she settled herself next to Elizabeth and whispered into her ear. Elizabeth burst into giggles and shook her head. She whispered back into Adelaide's ear. Adelaide chuckled huskily. Jack felt her laugh like a caress. And he didn't care for his reaction to it. One woman should not have this affect on him. He was Captain Jack Sparrow, after all, renown for his ability to seduce even the most virtuous women into his bed. One small woman should not be able to keep his attention for this long. He caught a bit of Elizabeth's next comment to Adelaide. Kennedy's name burned into his ears.

Damnation. If he was obliged to continue his craving for Adelaide she could at least reciprocate the feeling. He was not about to loose a woman to a navy captain, of all people. He smiled into his drink. She would be his before this affair was over and her ship would be under his command. That was more than enough to compensate for the annoyance of having to deal with Kennedy's competition this evening. Kennedy would not be a factor once the wager was under way. Hell, Kennedy would not be a factor in the remainder of the night. Jack wondered how Adelaide would cope with a midnight visit in her suite in the governor's mansion. Jack had to swallow his private laugh so that Adelaide did not notice his pleasure. It would be better that she did not suspect him of any plots in the near future. The pleasure of her surprised indignation would be all the more satisfying. For now he intended to make her as uncomfortable as possible.

"Milady, how was the Season this year? It was in full swing when you were required to leave to attend Elizabeth and Will's little event here in the Caribbean, was it not? I am sure you could entertain us for hours with the new gossip circulating the _ton_." Jack almost grinned when Adelaide's expression soured. Apparently she did not care to regale them with the new fashions and dramas of the high class circles in London. Jack could not picture there even to for her to just uphold appearances. She had to short of a temper he thought watching her eyes flash angrily.

"The Season was exceedingly boring this year, Mr. Milford. I was eager to accept Elizabeth's invitation to her _little event_. It broke the monotony of what promised to be an unremarkably dull winter this year." Adelaide took pleasure in quickly squashing jack's attempt to poke at her. He could not actually ask her any thing of importance of her. He knew nothing of the elevated social circles of the _ton_ after all.

"I was wondering if you were of acquaintance with the Earl and Countess of Exbridge?"

Adelaide narrowed her eyes at the name of a highly placed noble family. What could Jack have to do with that impeccable family? "Of course I and fast friends with their oldest daughter. Lady Emily just announced her engagement to the heir to the Colchester earldom weeks before I left."

This information seemed to throw Jack off step. He blinked at her and took a long swallow from his wine glass. "Emma's engaged? Surely she is not nearly old enough."

Adelaide raised an eyebrow at Jack's use of the nickname given to Emily by her close friends and family members…Maybe she had underestimated his connections in London. Was it possible that he actually was acquainted with the Exbridge family? That would prove to be most interesting. A memory tugged at the back of her mind.

Adelaide dismissed it. There was no way Jack Sparrow could be on personal terms with any of the Exbridge horde. Countess Exbridge watched her children with a hawk's eye. None of them made a move without her knowledge, of that Adelaide was sure. But there was something…No. She shook her head slightly to get back to the current conversation. She needed her wits about her to deal with Jack. His reference Emily must be pure chance. After all it was not all that big of a jump from Emily to Emma. It was a very unlikely chance that he actually knew that she was called by that name. Adelaide decided to turn the conversation back to her advantage. "What part of America did you say you came from, Mr. Milford?"

"I didn't, milady." Jack answered shortly. He was determined not to loose control of this exchange. Adelaide needed to learn that she was not queen supreme in his company,

Adelaide smiled serenely. She was going to make this as awkward as possible for Jack. It helped that the young Taylor siblings that she had been trying to avoid earlier had insinuated themselves into the group at the table. They would require Jack to keep up his role as an American merchant and would help her avoid any leading comments toward her activities in the region. "Your accent is a little bit off if you ask me. Georgia is what you seem to be trying for but there seems to be a trace of Boston in your words. Which is it, Mr. Milford?"

"Both and neither, milady," Jack drawled her title, obviously giving it no respect. Joshua Taylor looked outraged at the slight. Adelaide decided to quell the situation before the stupid boy did something stupid.

She laughed lightly. "That is a very noncommittal answer, Mr. Milford. But that is a common thing among men don't you agree Will?"

"Of course Adelaide, We men avoid committing ourselves to anything lest we be required to back up out statements with proof." Will was more than willing to defuse the situation before it became volatile. It was amusing to watch Adelaide and Jack snipe at one another but it would be too uncomfortable to try to explain if Jack did something stupid like strike the brainless Taylor boy. "On that note, do you think it is time that you took me up on my commitment, Elizabeth dear?"

"Yes, I believe it is past time for us to retire, Will." Elizabeth quickly grabbed Adelaide's hand. "You'll come with me won't you Addy?"

"I would consider it an honor, Lizzy, but I have a feeling Will would prefer me not to accompany you to your marital bed." Adelaide teased hoping to lighten the mood.

"He would not be the only one protesting," Elizabeth laughed. "I merely meant will you accompany me to my dressing room and help me out of this contraption."

"I suspected as much."

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Adelaide walked in her rooms nearly an hour and a half later. She had been obliged to return to the party after seeing Elizabeth off to her wedding night. As maid-of-honor, the task fell to her to see all of the remaining guests off. It had taken her nearly an hour to push the rest of the well wishers out the door and sneak back to her rooms.

She stretched her arms high and rotated her shoulders. Hours of maintaining her 'proper' attitude had caused a ball of tension to settle between her shoulder blades. She absently wished she had not sent her maid to bed so quickly. She could do with a hot bath to help ease her tight muscles. She placed one hand at that small of her back and the other on her neck and started to massage the tightness as she made her way into her bedchamber. With no care to the open balcony doors she began to peal herself out of the bridesmaid dress. Her maid had laid her night clothes out on the chair near the window. Adelaide ignored them. In this heat she was not going to bother with heavy night clothes, she would sleep in her shift. It was made of thin silk and would be, without a doubt, much cooler then the layers of nightclothes that were considered to be 'acceptable' for ladies of station.

Adelaide's finger's paused as they tugged at the ties of her corset. Something was wrong. There was something off about the way the room felt. She stilled when she realized that she was not alone. Sparrow.

"Would you like some help with those strings, luv?" Jacks voice slid out of the shadows behind her. Before she could react she felt his hands at her waist and his breath on her throat as he leaned in close to her ear. "I happen to have some experience in the area of women's apparel."

Adelaide drew in a ragged breath when she felt his mouth on her throat. She was so exhausted that she did not want to fight off the urge to melt into him. "Jack…?"

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Okay I know it has been a long while but the close of the semester is coming and I have to do well this term. Sooo…it probably will be a week or two before you can find out how this night ends. Not to mention Adelaide's family is giving me fits…I really wanted Aidan to be slimy but he just didn't fit that way.

BIG THANKS to my reviewers **Rebel-Ravenclaw**, **Freak in Corner, Immortal Captain Young, Mean Girl, Nova Viper**,** tvmademma**,** Elonna, Hils,** (thank you thank you thank you…I think I have groveled enough but I love your stories and am eternally grateful for your opinions of my writing), **Down2MarsGirl, **and of course my first and faithful reviewer **jennifer123**…I have my own posse!


	8. Angry Words

Usual disclaimers, I own only the warped characters that sprung to life from my over-active imagination.

**Chapter 8: Angry Words**

Adelaide began to let herself sink into the wonderful feeling that Jack was creating as he rubbed the tight spots of her back as he undid the ties of her corset. He mouth was doing things to her neck that was quickly draining the tension from the base of her skull. This was probably because all of the blood in my body is draining out of my head, she thought absently. Jack's voice whispered her name roughly into her ear as his hands finally released her from the corset. Hearing his voice was like having a bucket of ice water thrown on her to drag her from a dream. Adelaide spun around to face him and began to back away from him quickly. She clutched the corset to her chest because she knew just how thin the fabric of her under shift was and she needed to be able to keep Jack's attention away from pesky details like that.

He looked so different here in her bedchamber then he had across the table in _The Bride_ nearly two weeks before. His beard was gone. Adelaide wondered what his feelings had been when he had shaved off the little braids he tended to form from his beard. In her experience men were unusually attached to their facial hair. He had a defined jaw when it is clean shaven. The braids in his hair were gone were gone along with the beads normally framed his face. His hair was clean and smooth. During the wedding and reception it had been pulled back into a neat ponytail at the base of his neck. Now it was loose and looked as though he had been running his fingers through it in agitation. It fell a couple inches past his shoulders, giving him the look of a rogue. His well tailored jacket was gone and the top buttons of his white linen shirt were open as well as the sleeves. He wore tight black pants. He completed the perfect image of the seductive pirate captain with a bold red sash tied around his waste. He looked entirely too appealing for his own good. Or for _my_ own good, Adelaide thought bitterly.

"What are you doing here Jack?" she hissed that question at him as she continued to back away from him. His eyes gleamed playfully as he began to slowly walk toward her. Adelaide had a brief and sudden flash of a deer being stalked by a wolf. The deer's eyes were wide with fear. Its nostrils flared at the scent of its predator. The wolf's eyes gleamed yellow out of the shadows as it circled in on its prey. It was the same gleam that she saw in Jack's eyes. Well, damned if she was going to be the quarry slotted for tonight's entertainment. Her eyes flashed anger when he tried to make a grab for her. She side stepped him so that her back was now to the wall instead of the balcony. At least she was not backing toward the bed she thought sarcastically. She could fight him off better if she was standing she reasoned.

Jack grinned at her anger. That meant she was more than likely angry with her own reaction to him. That would make it all the more interesting when he finally managed to persuade her into his bed. It would be an interesting chase. He was well aware that it would not end in his favor tonight, but the entertainment of fighting with her might ease some of the pressure he felt. If he could get angry he could blame his jealousy solely at her feet and not have to contemplate the fact that he now had a weakness. Her name was Adelaide Marie Kathleen Withers and she was the bloody _Duchess_ of Lockwood, of all things. Jack spread his hand wide in a peaceful gesture as he inched toward Adelaide. If he moved too suddenly she would bolt and he would have to waste good energy chasing her around the room. He hoped to keep her talking and distract her from noticing how close he was getting. "Why my dear Adelaide, I thought I made my purpose for this visit quite clear. You are the prize, as I previously explained to you in Tortuga."

"I am only the prize if you win the wager," she said trying to edge towards the door. "Which you won't!"

"I will emerge the victor my dear, and you will get a view of the world from a new perspective—my bed." Jack watched the anger in her eyes blaze again and had to swallow back his laughter. It probably bode well for him in the immediate future if he kept her agitated. Absently he wondered if Adelaide was still carrying the blade she had used on Smythes. Hopefully it wouldn't come down to that. Jack preferred to keep all of his appendages. He was quite fond of them as it were.

"Don't bet on it," she snapped.

"Well, I'm quite confused as to what we've been doing so far…" Jack saw Adelaide eye the distance between her and the door. He decided to take advantage of her inattention. He rushed forward grabbing her shoulders in a quick move. She grabbed his wrists and struggled uselessly. She tried to grind the heel of her half boots into the arch of his foot. He solved that problem by moving in even closer. He pinned her hips with his; trapping her legs between his. She finally stopped struggling and met his gaze.

Her voice was tight when she spoke. "Let. Me. Go."

"Darlin', why should I do that? It is much more interesting from were I am now." His eyes settled on her lips, "Much more interesting."

"I mean it Jack. Let me go. We had an accord."

"The wager says nothing about me kissing you, now does it?"

Her response was muffled beneath his lips. He ignored the fact that she held her lips tightly closed and had her eyes open wide. He continued to nibble his way across her lips. He almost grinned as he watched her eyes started to cloud. Their green deepened from a light sea mist into a dark jade as she gave a low moan, giving into his kiss. Her hands slid down his forearms slowly. God this man could kiss. But she was determined to gain control of the situation. Jack eased back a little, kissing his way down her jaw line. Adelaide waited to fight him off, partially to have him caught off guard when she did make her move and partially because what Jack was doing felt so wonderful. She almost ignored the opening he gave her when he removed his hands from her shoulders. Almost.

Jack had no warning before Adelaide's knee came up swiftly. Jack let up a shaky breath and his eyes bulged when she stopped just short of doing any serious damage. He didn't dare to move a muscle in fear he would bruise something vital. Very carefully he moved his hands to either side of Adelaide's head bracing his weight on to the wall hoping to alleviate some of the pressure from his crotch. When Adelaide merely increased the pressure Jack went still. Sweat broke out on his forehead. He started breathing heavily. He wanted to growl when he heard Adelaide's low laugh. He angled his head to look into her eyes.

She looked like a cat with a belly full of cream. Her smile was slow and filled with mischief. "What's the matter, Jack? I thought the famous Jack Sparrow could wiggle his way out of any…tight spot."

"That's _Captain Sparrow_ to you missy." Jack ended his sentence on a painful hiss as Adelaide raised an eyebrow and jerked her knee a fraction higher.

"I do believe, Captain Sparrow, that I have control of this conversation, so do not forget it. Otherwise you will be walking bowlegged for a week." She waited for his acceptance. Jack locked his jaw and gave her a short nod. "Let's get some details straight here, Sparrow. You will not touch me again until this wager is finished—and only then if you emerge the victor. Now, as to your present situation, I will lower my knee only after I have an accord from you swearing you will take yourself from my rooms as quickly and discreetly as possible shortly there after. Do I have you agreement?"

When Jack looked like he was going to argue with here terms Adelaide merely tensed her leg as if she were going to raise it again. "Fine, alright, I give up. We are in agreement. Now if you would kindly allow the flow of blood back to my, err, family jewels, as it were?"

Adelaide sneered when she lowered her foot back to the floor. "Jewels? Ha! Highly unlikely, in my opinion. As agreed, remove yourself from my chambers."

"Very well, my dear." Jack walked towards the balcony. Adelaide followed to make sure that he actually left. Jack swung one leg over the balcony railing. Without warning Jack turned and kissed her hard on the mouth. "I couldn't leave with out a good-bye kiss, could I?"

Adelaide's only response was to plow her fist into his stomach. His breath came out in a rush and Adelaide had the immense pleasure of watching Jack's eyes go wide as he fell over the side of the balcony.

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The sound of glass breaking against the wall followed by a shout of rage filtered down the hall as Will climbed the main steps of the governor's mansion. He had been headed back to his and Elizabeth's room to retrieve Elizabeth's riding gloves but as he quickly stepped out of the path of one of the maids as she fled down the stairs in tears he detoured to find the reason for this chaos. His eyebrows rose when he heard the sound of something hitting the wall with a heavy thud. The walls shook from the force of the impact. Will tracked the noise to Adelaide's door. Taking a fortifying breath he opened the door. With quick thinking and reflexes he managed to catch the brush that was aimed for his head before it hit its mark. He was not so lucky with the book.

"I said to leave me ALONE!" Adelaide shouted as she grabbed for a vase of flowers that stood on the desk. She raised her arm to throw it as well before she realized that it was Will who had interrupted her fit of temper. She stood in the center of her room that looked as though a hurricane had ravaged it leaving almost no furniture standing. She looked pristine in a gown made of a pale yellow gauzy material that had long sleeves but left her shoulders almost bare.

It was the first time Will had seen her devoid of any jewels. He had to say that she did not need them to distract from her natural beauty. He realized where Elizabeth got her attractiveness. Since their mothers had been sisters, Will could only assume that they were the sources of Adelaide and Elizabeth's good looks. Adelaide's hair was beautifully disheveled. She blew an errant curl out of her face with annoyance and snarled, "This is not the time, Will. I am liable to cause you serious injury if you don't get out."

Will pressed a hand to his throbbing head. "Of that I am sure. What are you so livid about?"

"That son of a…" Adelaide took a deep breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. She fixed a glare at Will. He started to back towards the door. Adelaide looked like she could quite happily commit murder without batting an eye. "Sparrow."

"Jack? What has he done now? He left last night on the _Pearl_."

"Yes, I know he is gone. The slimy thief," Adelaide hissed as she swept her arm over the desk scattering papers across the floor. "He doesn't have the courage to face me after what he has done. After he didn't even have the decency to actually fall from the balcony last night like any normal person, damn his infernal luck. I was looking forward to seeing him hit the ground."

Trying to contain his laugher Will choked out his question, "Jack fell off the balcony last night?"

"Of course he did. I pushed him. Who could guess that his sash would catch on that trellis? Damn him!"

"You pushed him? Why would you push Jack off the balcony?"

"Because he had the audacity to kiss me."

"I think I need to sit down to absorb this information." Will lowered himself into the one chair that was still standing in the room. "You and Jack? That is an unusual pairing."

"We are not a couple! I would not lower myself to sleep with that scoundrel if he were the last man on in the world. A prize! He called me a _prize_! Like I am some trinket that has caught his attention and he wants to claim! The mangy _cur_!" Adelaide was muttering now. Pacing across the room kicking things out of her way as she threw more insults at the nonexistent Jack Sparrow. "And he had the _gall_ to steal from me as well."

Will's eyes narrowed at this. He and Jack had come to an understanding that while he was in Port Royal under his alias he would refrain from calling attention to himself by taking anything from any of the guests. Will wished to keep Norrington from having too many suspicions about the fictional Mr. Henry Milford. The fewer questions asked the better. If Jack had broken his accord there would be hell to pay. And not just from Adelaide's fury. Will did not take well to the thought of being duped by Jack once more. "Jack actually stole from you, Adelaide?"

"Yes and then the knave had the nerve to send me a note informing me of his impertinence. The arrogant little bast—"

"I get the idea. May I see the note?" Will cut off the rest of Adelaide's sentence. He did not want to have to dodge any more objects. His head was still ringing from the book. Adelaide held the note out with an angry huff. He glanced at the scrap of paper. The message confused him but he got the general point. It seemed Jack was repaying Adelaide for something she had done to him.

_Addy, my dear, while I realize this may come to you as a shock I have decided to relieve you of this lovely bauble, as you have no need for jewels to shine. I think this should be considered fair trade for the possession you lifted from my coat in Tortuga. We can call it a down payment on what you will owe me after the wager has ended. I will remember fondly of the warmth it held from your skin when I removed it from you elegant neck. I hope you will be able to function without it in the near future. I'll see you in June._

It was signed with a scrawling _JS_ and there was a rather detailed sketch of the necklace and pendant Adelaide had been wearing the night before. Will was unsure what most of the message was referencing but he guessed from Adelaide's wrath she understood quite well. And she did not appreciate being outfoxed by Jack. Will decided to try to distract Adelaide with useless information. "You were in Tortuga?"

"Wha—yes, two weeks ago." Adelaide felt herself begin to come down from her rage. She still seethed with anger but she guessed that would not end until she was able to rub Jack's face in his defeat a month from now. "Will, I am sorry to hurry you along but I really must put this room back into rights, find that poor maid I terrorized and apologize, then I must make the _Midnight's Dove_ ready to sail. We will leave with the evening tide."

"Tonight? Elizabeth will be disappointed."

"I am sure you will find ways to distract her from her grief." Adelaide said dryly when she saw Will grinning wildly. "Now be off. I am sorry you had to witness my outburst."

"As am I," Will felt his head again. "I think I may have a permanent dent from that book, milady."

"That is unlikely. I have it on good authority that your head is rather thick, William Turner."

"And whose authority would that be?"

"Why, Elizabeth's of course." With that Adelaide pushed Will the rest of the way through the door and shut it on his astonished expression. Her chambers were an absolute disaster and she did not think that the maid would have the courage to venture back to the floor, let alone her rooms, in the near future. Rolling up the sleeves of her gown Adelaide began to clean up the evidence of her rant.

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Adelaide stood with her feet braced against the roll of the sea as she took the helm of the _Midnight's Dove_ from one of her crew men. The moonlight bounced off the water making the _Dove's_ sails shimmer like dark blue ice. With the benefits of the sails they were basically undetectable. They had left Port Royal four days before quickly making their way through the Windward Passage. In the last two days they had over taken three ships heavily laden with goods. They were well on their way towards their goal of winning the wager. If things continued on this path Sparrow would have no chance. Adelaide smiled when she thought of Jack. She couldn't wait to see his expression when he realized that his precious ship was no longer under his command. The need to reclaim the dignity he had managed to take from her in Port Royal made Adelaide determined to have the _Midnight's Dove_ come out on top.

Adelaide's concentration was broken by the call of one of the crew from the crow's-nest. "Sails, off the port bow. Twelve degrees north, north-west."

Adelaide immediately relinquished control of the helm to retrieve her spyglass. Fixing it to her eye she swept it along the line of the horizon. She focused it on the sails that were barely visible as the ship rose over the horizon. Anticipation began to build in her chest. The chase was her favorite part of the process of taking a ship. With her heart high in her throat, Adelaide grabbed a piece of rigging and began to climb. She could get a better view of the ship if she was aloft. She looped an arm around the rope to secure her position. She found the ship with her spyglass again. The ball of anticipation turned quickly to a frozen ball of fear. The ship was not the scheduled merchant ship that they had planned to intercept. It was twice the size.

She swept her gaze along from sailor to sailor. There was something wrong with these men. They moved stiffly, as if they were unsure of their actions. She caught the flash yellow as a distinctive blond head came into her line of vision. Adelaide froze. Edgeworth. This was impossible. How could he been in the Caribbean?

She couldn't breath. Her mind went blank. The only thing she could think was he'd come after her. Timothy's shout for the hands to take their positions for an attack broke her from her stupor. They had to get away from here. She grabbed hold of a rope and swung back to the deck. She hit the deck at a run, shouting orders to ready the ship for a fast run. Timothy gave her a questioning look when her orders directed the _Midnight's Dove_ away from their prey. She gave him one wild look as she took the helm and began to turn the ship on a south east heading.

"Captain?" he lowered his voice, "Adelaide, what is the matter?"

She only said one word. Her voice was quiet and filled with fear. "Edgeworth."

Timothy's face filled with fury and he began issuing orders as quickly as Adelaide. The crew confused at the change of orders from attack to flee gave no questions and leapt to their duties in getting the _Midnight's Dove_ out of those waters. Their captain had never led them wrong. If she deemed a fight not in their favor they were not going to question her assessment of the circumstances.

Adelaide ordered Timothy to take the helm and made her way aft. She took up her glass again. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw Edgeworth shouting orders to his own crew. They had been spotted and Edgeworth was taking up pursuit of the _Midnight's Dove_. Adelaide let out a shaky laugh. At least she could be confident that her ship would win this race. There was no way Edgeworth's ship would catch hers. Adelaide took a moment to note the name of scrawled across the stern of Edgeworth's ship, the _Hunter_. How apt, Adelaide thought absently. For she suddenly felt very hunted. She didn't care for the feeling at all.

Steadier on her feet Adelaide returned to stand beside Timothy. Smiling coldly she ordered for the sweeps to be taken out. They would have to be one the look out for the next month. Edgeworth's presence made it complicated for them to ply their trade but they could not afford to give up their side of the wager. Adelaide had too much at stake personally and financially. She ordered double crew on all watches. She could not afford for Edgeworth to stumble upon them when they were unprepared.

Hours later, Adelaide stumbled to her bunk in the captain's cabin. She crawled exhausted under the blankets. As she fell asleep she found herself wondering not on whether they had succeeded in giving Edgeworth the slip but on what Jack Sparrow was doing at that exact moment. The man was probably sleeping happily. Jerk. Her sleep would be any thing but restful.

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Okay girls lets have the reviews…or I will be longer in giving an update on how Jack's nights are progressing, just who Edgeworth is and why Adelaide fears him.

Thanks again to all my faithful reviewers.** Freak in Corner, Immortal Captain Young, Elonna**. And welcome to new reviewers **TriGemini, lissa james**. I hope you like this next installment.


	9. The Chase

Usual Disclaimers…I own nothing but those characters that you don't recognize from the movie…but if my plan to rule the world goes as planned I will be able to buy rights to Johnny Depp…Shhhhh don't tell any one.

**A/N:** sorry for the typos in this chapter and the last. And I have made some additions to the last few paragraphs in Chapter 8. You may wish to reread it so you get the references Jack makes to a certain ship in the beginning of this chapter

**RebelRavenclaw**: my chapters end in cliff-hangers because that keeps you coming back! Muwaaahahahahahaaa! And as to Jack's dignity, of course he has some hence why he was a gentleman to Elizabeth…there was the night with the rum…but she was already recognized as Will's. Adelaide is fair game as far as Jack is concerned.

**Chapter 9: The Chase**

Jack lay on his back, arms spread across his bedspread. It was nearly dawn and he had been laying there for almost five hours. He was wide awake. It had been three weeks since they had slipped away from Port Royal. So far Jack was still confident that the _Black Pearl_ was going to win Adelaide's wager. The only thing that worried him was that he had not seen hide nor hair of the _Midnight's Dove_ since it had faded from view tied to the docks in Port Royal three weeks ago. While it was not like the Caribbean was a small pond where the ships would bump into one another but both ships were concentrating on the same trade routes and had the same time constraints of one month to ply their trade. Both had to return to the waters around Tortuga by June twentieth and it was already the thirteenth. That did not give either ship time enough to stray from the known routes. It was common sense that they may at least come into view of one another in the passing month.

The only ship they encountered that Jack paid any attention to was a British frigate that was trying to pass itself off as a merchant vessel. They had come into view of the _Hunter_ twice in the last week. The second time Jack could have sworn that it was trying to follow the _Pearl_. He had ordered the sweeps taken out and they had quickly lost their tail. Curious, Jack had ordered the _Pearl_ to make a wide sweep back until they were behind the _Hunter_. He ordered regular white sails to be raised so that the captain of the _Hunter_ would not recognize them for who they were.

This hoax proved unneeded because the _Hunter_ sailed with no apparent purpose. Jack thought they might be searching for someone but as long as they did not interfere with his plans he would give them no further thought. He had ordered the _Pearl_ to take up a wandering course toward Tortuga. Hopefully in the next week they could come across a few extra pickings of ships. Since the holds were already bursting with swag he did not think they would need any more to defeat the _Midnight's Dove_ in this little wager.

Jack shook his head to bring his thought back to the present. None of these musings explained why he was still awake. He had tried everything to try to get to sleep, even drinking a good portion of his rum reserve. All that had done was bestow him with quite an unpleasant hangover when he had sobered up. He was still feeling it's after effects. He would not have minded the hangover, he was quite used to them as it were, but he still had not been able to get a wink of sleep tonight. It irritated him that the only reason he could find was that something about the whole state of affairs set him on edge. No, that wasn't entirely accurate. Adelaide set him on edge and all his unanswered questions about her objectives in the Caribbean did not help the situation. He just did not like the feel of the whole lot.

Resigned at getting any sleep Jack pulled himself out of bed. He shrugged in to a pair of breeches. He padded bare-footed and bare-chested over to his desk. Dejectedly, he studied a map of the Caribbean. He sat there doing nothing for about twenty minutes before shoving back from the desk. He was not going to get anything done. He paced the confines of his cabin before stalking over to the bookshelf. This was entirely Adelaide's fault, he thought as he grabbed a book off of the shelf. He thumbed through the pages until he came to the picture that was hidden in its pages.

It was a small portrait that had been painted years ago. Jack's memory of the time was hazy. It seemed like another life from the one he lead now. Absently he ran his finger over the people in the picture, his family. His older brother, James, was standing tall. The painter had captured his auburn hair perfectly. His younger brothers, Theo and Nick, were grinning mischievously. They had always invented ways to get themselves into such trouble. Jack himself had more often then not been right there in the thick of it with them. He chuckled when he thought of the number of tutors he and his brothers had gone through over the years. He remembered standing in his father's library listening to yet another lecture on decorum. His father had always looked at him with an air of dissatisfaction. He and the twins had been extras in his father's eyes. James was the heir and that was all that mattered.

Then there was his baby sister. She had been only two when he had left. Had his parents had any more children after he had gone? God, had it been nineteen years ago? He guessed that he would not recognize any of his siblings if he passed them on the street now. They definitely would not recognize him. He would guess that his mother would fall into a faint if she saw what had become of her second son. Jack sobered up, pulling himself out of the memories. It did no good to dwell on the past. He had left that life behind at the age of thirteen with out a glance back. It was all Adelaide's fault he was doing so now. He shut the book with a snap and placed it back on the shelf. He needed to do something to get his thoughts out of the trench they had dug. He grabbed a shirt off his bed. He walked to the doors of his cabin and flung them open. He stood in the doorway and took a deep breath of the sea air. This was where he belonged. It did not matter where he came from only where he was right now. Without a word to his crew he climbed into the rigging, making his way to the crow's-nest. He stood there watching the sunrise.

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Adelaide watched the sunset from a similar vantage point on the _Midnight's Dove_. she had actually slept tonight, much to her surprise. They had had another close brush with the _Hunter_ the evening before. Edgeworth had actually managed to get a shot off this time. It had landed just short of the _Midnight's Dove_'s bow. It worried Adelaide because if it had been a few more feet to the right they would have been hulled. She guessed that Edgeworth would have doubled, maybe even tripled, the crew on his ship so that in the event of a fight her crew would be overwhelmed by the sheer number of his men. She shuddered at the thought of what would happen if Edgeworth actually caught up with her.

Adelaide did not fear many men, but Edgeworth was different. There was something about his eyes. They were piercing blue and had just a hint of madness in them. He was a sick horrible man, Adelaide thought. Three years ago she had made the mistake of allowing her aunt, Lady Jessica, to add names to the list of invitations to a weekend party at their estates. Adelaide had been too busy with other details to check who exactly her aunt had invited. She normally went over the invitation list for these parties with a fine toothed comb. It was different when she was having a ball in London. At those huge crushes it was almost useless to have an actual list of who was asked to attend because so many showed up uninvited. But Adelaide was picky about who she allowed to her weekend parties. These people she was letting into her home and for an extended period of time. Three years ago, due to her absent-mindedness, Adelaide had come face to face with a monster.

Edgeworth on the outside seemed to be the normal fop so common to the _ton_. When Adelaide had been introduced to him she had felt like she suddenly needed a hot bath. She had endeavored to spend as little time in his company as possible but her witch of an aunt had apparently sensed how Adelaide's reaction to Edgeworth and made it her mission of the weekend to throw them into each other's company as often as she could manage.

The weekend had been utterly ruined. Adelaide was sure that Lady Jessica had gotten great pleasure from her discomfort. Adelaide had dealt with Edgeworth coolly. Her comments had been dripping with icy sarcasm when she was forced to reply to his overtures. But that wasn't enough to get her point across. When he had cornered her in the garden she had made her point quite clear, leaving Edgeworth curled in the grass after firmly planting her knee in his groin and her fist on his jaw. She had not felt the least bit of guilt until she had found out that he had taken his revenge on one of the young chamber maids that served in her house.

The girl had been found outside the kitchens bloody and badly beaten. Adelaide had been awakened by a nearly hysterical maid bidding her to come down to the kitchens at once. Adelaide had been furious at what she had found. Polly's jaw, her left arm and her right leg were broken. Her face had been cut, deliberately. He had also used the knife on her torso. Adelaide had no idea how she had managed to survive the attack let alone crawl from the gardens to the kitchens. It was fortunate that one of the kitchen boys had found her when he had gone to collect the morning eggs. If he had not done so the girl would have surely bled to death. Before she had passed out from the pain Polly had mumbled her attacker's name, Edgeworth.

While Adelaide would have loved to have seen Edgeworth hang for what he had done Lady Jessica had stepped in giving Edgeworth an unassailable alibi. She stated quite openly that Edgeworth had been in her chambers during the night in question. Adelaide had been surprised at this because Jessica normally shied away from any type of social scandal but she couldn't be shaken from her story. So Edgeworth had just smiled coldly at Adelaide and suggested they all spend the day at the coast to rid themselves of this whole "nasty affair". Adelaide had taken great pleasure in having Edgeworth bodily removed from her land.

She and her aunt had gone a couple of rounds over that but Jessica had eventually backed down when Adelaide had threatened to cut off her quarterly allowance. Adelaide used that memory to remind her not to let her guard down around Lady Jessica. The woman was filled with bitterness. Adelaide was not quite sure why it was focused solely at her but she imagined it had something to do with her parents and her Uncle Franklin, May the man burn in hell. Franklin was a whole different terrible chapter in her past. She wished she could cut most of the family out of her life but she could not do so and continue to control the family businesses.

Edgeworth had managed to continue to be a nuisance in her life in the last three years. He showed up at the most inopportune times, insinuating himself into her social circles. Most society hostesses refused to have him at their parties. He was branded a wastrel and not even the most desperate of mothers would allow their daughters even the idea of entertaining his courtship. But the man still managed to find a way to see Adelaide in social situations. He seemed to have formed some sort of obsession with her.

Adelaide had suspected that Lady Jessica had revealed her secret profession to Edgeworth. He had made leading comments. His appearance in the Caribbean only served to confirm her fears. She wasn't sure what he planned but she was genuinely afraid of the man. It seemed that she would be leaving these waters directly after the end of this wager and a final visit with Will and Elizabeth. Flight did not sit well with her but she was not prepared to risk the lives of her crew in what would be an unjust fight.

It seemed that the _Midnight's Dove_ was going into a temporary involuntary retirement. Of all the issues that were flying around in her mind the thing that pissed her off the most was that because of Edgeworth's interference they had missed the last two scheduled merchant ships and were in serious danger of loosing this wager to the _Black Pearl_. Adelaide didn't even want to contemplate how she would go about dealing with Sparrow's 'requirement' if they did loose. And it would break her heart to loose the _Midnight's Dove_. Trying to be practical, Adelaide thought about what it would be like if she was not in control of her ship.

She would be lost. She realized that in a still moment. She would be absolutely lost with out her crew and her ship. They were her real family. She knew where all of her crew was from and who they had left behind. It would be like cutting a piece of her heart out if she had to leave them under command of another. But if she lost this wager that would be what she had to do. She could not let her people in Wales fall into the clutches of Lady Jessica. Adelaide just couldn't allow her father's legacy to fall into that bitch's hands. If they lost, she would have to give up the _Midnight's Dove_. She would deal with Sparrow in her own way.

A shout from below brought Adelaide' attention back to the present, a merchant ship was sighted off the starboard side. The crew scrambled to their positions. The _Midnight's Dove_ took up pursuit. This ship would be easy pickings. She smiled softly. Maybe this feeling of dread was unneeded. She began to scramble down the rigging. Maybe they had a chance.

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Okay you guys give reviews. I know this is kinda a dark chapter but it explains Edgeworth. But the joy can be found that I am going to post the following chapter by this time tomorrow. So you won't have that long to wait…

Thanks to all my reviewers: **Freak in Corner, Immortal Captain Young, Elonna**, **TriGemini, lissa james, Rebel-Ravenclaw, Mean Girl, Nova Viper**,** tvmademma, Down2MarsGirl, **and it is great to have you back **jennifer123**. We are a posse once more!


	10. The Battle and the Fallout

Usual Disclaimers: I own nothing…not even a measly poster…although I can lay claim to the characters that have sprung for my own warped sense of humor…pitiful though they are.

**Chapter 10: The Battle and the Fallout**

The capture of the small French merchant ship was straightforward. Their crew barely put up a fight. Their holds were bursting with supplies destined for Nassau Port. Adelaide was ecstatic they had been blown off course into the path of the _Midnight's Dove_. Her mental calculations now put them at least in the running to win the wager against Sparrow. The crew of _Midnight's Dove_ was cutting the ties between the two ships when the call went up. Ship dead ahead. Adelaide scrambled back to her own ship. At least they had gotten all the cargo they needed and the manifest that was required for the wager. Her crew was hurrying to get heir newly acquired cargo below decks so that they could deal with this new threat or potential prey.

She ran across the deck to the port side to see the _Hunter_ bearing down on them with amazing speed. There was no way that they would be able to get the _Midnight's Dove_ underway before they came into firing range. She ran for the helm. They had no choice but to put up a fight. She had a sinking feeling that this was going to be her last stand.

"Clear for Action. Prepare for boarders, men." Adelaide took a deep breath and made her decision. It was now or never. She heard her orders being repeated down the line of command. It always amazed her how much a pirate ship functioned like one in the navy. Same orders, ranks and there was most of all the same danger involved. Her mouth was a firm, grim line. "And raise the red. No quarter given, men, we fight till death."

The resounding cheer that followed her words brought tears to her eyes. She blinked them back and prepared herself for the oncoming battle. Timothy came to stand at her side. "Let's kill the bastard this time."

Adelaide didn't blink. She shouted, "Roll out the guns…Fire at will."

The world around her erupted into cannon blasts.

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"Captain!" the frenzied shout brought Jack running from his cabin. One of the powder boys hung off the rigging and pointed off the starboard bow. "The _Midnight's Dove_ is under heavy attack from the _Hunter_. She's flying her red, sir."

Jack grabbed his spyglass. The scene before him was gruesome and bloody. The _Midnight's Dove_ had taken heavy cannon fire before being boarded. She was missing her mizzen mast and her remaining sails were in tatters. The crew of the _Hunter_ grossly outnumbered that of the _Midnight's Dove_. But Adelaide's men were obviously better trained. Jack found Adelaide in his line of vision. She was fighting valiantly. Welding two cutlasses, Jack watched her thrust her blade into one of her attackers and with her other had take the dying man's pistol and shoot another of her attackers. Her white linen shirt was soaked with blood. He was frightened at the thought that some of it may actually be her own. "Gibbs," Jack shouted as he streaked toward the helm. "Alter course we are going to lend the _Midnight's Dove_ assistance. The _Hunter_ has stepped over the line by attacking what is my future property." And I want Adelaide _alive_ to fulfill the requirements of the wager, Jack thought.

"Take what you get!" he shouted.

"Give nothing back!" The shouts of the _Pearl_'s crew shook the air as they pulled along side the _Midnight's Dove_. Grappling hooks caught bringing the two ships together. His crew surged forward. Jack swung on to the deck; taking out one of the _Hunter_'s crew with is pistol as he landed. He thanked the lord that the _Hunter_'s crew was in uniform so that he could tell the difference between them and Adelaide's crewmen. It made this messy business of killing that much simpler.

The crewmen of the _Hunter_ quickly began to retreat when they realized that the table had been turned and not only were they out numbered but these were fresh well trained opponents. The decks of the _Midnight's Dove_ ran red with spilt blood. Jack fought his way to where he had last seen Adelaide. He heard her shout out the name Edgeworth and square off with a tall blonde man. He caught glimpses of her fighting desperately against him. Both of them were ruthless fighters but it showed that Adelaide was tiring. Jack struggled to make his way to her. Every time he got a clear path another attacker stepped in the way. With a grunt he dispatched the last man in his way. The sight before him made him freeze in fear.

Adelaide's opponent had disarmed her and was holding her by the front of her bloodstained shirt. Adelaide looked utterly defeated. Her arms hung limply at her sides. But the expression on her face was one of pure unadulterated hatred. She said something to Edgeworth; ending her statement by spitting in his face. Edgeworth back-handed her with the hilt of his sword and then grasped his sword correctly once more. Jack heart stopped when as he watched Edgeworth poise his weapon for a final blow. The scene was almost identical to when Jack had witnessed Adelaide's mother's death. Edgeworth whispered something in her ear and Jack stood transfixed in horror as he plunged his sword toward her chest.

Jack could almost see it in slow motion as every one on the _Midnight's Dove_ deck lunged forward to where Adelaide and Edgeworth were standing. Jack was the first to reach them. All he could do was catch Adelaide as her body slid off Edgeworth's sword. Edgeworth raised his sword to attack Jack but found himself under assault from Timothy. Timothy shouted in rage as he bore down on Edgeworth. He took stock of the situation that most of his men were back on the _Hunter_ trying to deflect boarders. Edgeworth gave one final blow, knocking Timothy back one step, and took off running to get back to the _Hunter_. The ties were cut and it started to slip away from the _Midnight's Dove_.

Jack sat on the deck with Adelaide's blood pulsing over him. He pressed his hands against the wound trying to stem the flow of blood. He couldn't stop it. He suddenly felt thirteen again and this was not Adelaide in his lap but Lady Bridget. He felt Hands on his shoulders, just like the last time. He shrugged them off holding onto Adelaide as if his life depended on it. Gibbs' voice brought him back to the present. Timothy took off his shirt and pressed it to Adelaide's wound. "Captain? Captain, do we pursue the _Hunter_?"

Jack's voice was cold. "No. No, let the coward run. There will be no where far enough to keep him safe from me. For once I get my hands on him, he will die." Jack was distracted when Adelaide took a sharp ragged breath. "Luv, you're alive. Lie still we are going to keep you just that way."

"Jack," Adelaide's words were soft and slurred. "The _Dove_'s yours. Please help my men get home. I-I am s-sorry."

She passed out and Jack gingerly lifted her into his arms. Her cabin was closer but he wanted her on the _Pearl_. He walked over a plank that had been set across the two ships. "Gibbs! Send Cotton to my cabin immediately. You and Timothy deal with our wounded. Adelaide must have a medic among her crew."

"Captain, what about the wounded enemy?"

Jack turned to face them. Blood was smeared across his face. His eyes were cold and his face blank. "Adelaide was flying the red. Kill them."

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Jack knelt next to his bunk. Adelaide looked so tiny under his blankets. Cotton had cleaned, stitched and dressed her wound. Edgeworth's blade had missed both her heart and her lung by a stroke of pure luck. Her breathing was shallow but steady. Jack took a fortifying breath and pressed her fingers to his mouth. He needed to pull himself together. He needed to see to getting the _Pearl_ and the _Midnight's Dove_ to a safe port so that Adelaide could get the proper care she needed in her condition. Cotton was a decent medic but Adelaide needed an actual doctor. Jack raised their joined hands to his forehead. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to fight off emotions he did not understand.

There was a soft knock at the door. He was needed on deck. He would send one of the crew to sit with Adelaide. Hopefully Cotton or the medic from the _Midnight's Dove_ would be available. Jack stood slowly. He bent down and placed a soft kiss on Adelaide's forehead. His words were whispered harshly in the silence of the cabin, "You had better survive this Addy, dear. Because the moment you are healthy I am going to _strangle_ you for this foolishness. What were you thinking, attacking a ship twice your size and so heavily crewed? Even the _Pearl_ would have problems with those odds. You did not strike me as an idiot. What demon possessed you to want to die today?"

Knowing he would get no answers from an unconscious woman, Jack turned on his heel and strode out of the cabin. Cotton nodded to him as he came out the doorway and proceeded into sit with Adelaide without orders. The old man couldn't speak but he always seemed to know exactly what was expected of him. Jack braced himself for the grisly scene that awaited him aboard the _Midnight's Dove_. The bodies of the enemy had already been dispensed of, tossed into the sea without any words read over them. The sounds of sharks already attacking the remains sent a shiver down Jack's spine. No matter how long a man spent on the sea he could never rid himself of the fear of that shadowy predator.

Jack made the mistake of glancing down when he swung between the two ships. The water was stained a dark rusty black color. Blood, he thought blankly. They needed to get far from this place so that they could wash there decks and make repairs without the threat of sharks in the water. And most importantly lay their dead to rest. Jack was surprised to find that there were few of either _Pearl_ or _Dove_ crewmembers who had actually died in the fight. Plenty were wounded but they had survived the onslaught of the _Hunter_. He met Gibbs grim expression and scanned Timothy's tight features. Both men looked too worried for Jack to think that his only problem was Adelaide's condition. "Well, what's the damage to the _Dove_?"

Timothy's voice was strained with emotion. "She's sinking."

"What!" Jack had not been expecting this. Over all the _Midnight's Dove_ did not seem to have sustained enough damage to be in immediate peril. He had not contemplated actually loosing Adelaide's ship.

"She is hulled. Two shots entered just below the water line on the port side. The ship is rapidly filling. I estimate we have little over an hour before she goes down completely, maybe a little more if we relieve her of the weight of her cargo."

"Then do so. Transfer all of the _Midnight's Dove_'s cargo onto the _Pearl_. Gibbs, I want it kept separate from what we have taken in the last month. I do not want Adelaide accusing me of cheating on this damnable wager when she awakens. If there is no more room in the hold put it in the crews' quarters. If the weather holds, most of the crew can sleep on deck." Jack swaggered across the deck. "Remove everything from Captain Adelaide's cabin and transfer it to mine."

He stopped and looked at the two men. He spread his hands out in his customary semi-drunken way. "Well? What are you waiting for—the ship to sink? You, yourself, told me we have less then an hour…time is of the essence. Move."

Both Timothy and Gibbs began shouting orders to their respective crews. Jack supervised the activities for a while and then he wandered into Adelaide's cabin. Three members of the _Midnight's Dove_ crew were busy filling trunks with all of Adelaide's belongings. Jack absently ran his fingers along the edge of her desk. He could easily imagine her here. The colors suited her. Deep blue, vibrant red, warm heavy yellow-gold contrasted against each other.

The drapes that hung at the windows felt like sunlight but their fabric was heavy enough to block light if needed. They reminded him that he needed to invest in some similar himself. After he had regained the _Black Pearl_ from the traitorous hands of Barbossa he had wanted to rid his cabin of any traces of the darkness that had plagued his ship for the last decade. He had wanted as much light in his cabin as possible. Sunlight, moonlight, it made no difference. Now looking at Adelaide's cabin he realized that in trying to remove Barbossa's stink from the _Pearl_ he had yet to leave his mark. The rest of the ship had been over hauled. New sails, a fresh coat of black paint, all new rigging and other equipment, but he had not refurnished the captain's cabin. He had just left it stark and bare. Well that was going to change.

"Bring the drapes, along with the bedding. Adelaide would not want to loose her possessions to that twit Edgeworth." His gaze fell on a couple of miniature portraits that were sitting on the desk. He picked one up of two handsome young men and three beautiful younger women. There was an obvious familial resemblance between all of the subjects. Jack narrowed his eyes. Something…he turned on his heel and strode out of the cabin and back out of deck. He spotted Timothy trying to organize the chaos on deck. The crew had fashioned a pulley to lift the cargo out of the hold and swing it over to the _Pearl_. Distracted by what he was seeing Jack forgot the portrait in his hand. The quality of the goods Adelaide had taken was remarkable. She was definitely giving him a run for his money. In the back of his mind Jack wondered if he actually had a chance at loosing this wager. He laughed at that. It didn't really matter at this point because Adelaide wouldn't have a ship to give him anyway when she lost. He sobered quickly. It was a shame. The _Midnight's Dove_ was quite the ship. Jack would have been proud to have control of her. If they had the time he would have insisted they try to save her but time was running out and Jack needed to get Adelaide to a port city where she could get actual medical attention. Cotton was good for an emergency but Jack wanted her well looked after.

The question was where to go. Nassau was too far. Tortuga was close but he wouldn't trust his worst enemy in the hand of that butcher that called himself a doctor. He could try some of the Spanish islands in the vicinity but he did not think the arrival of the _Pearl_ would be well received. The last thing he wanted was have to deal with fighting off Spaniards when Adelaide was dying. That left Port Royal and that would be a sticky situation trying to explain Adelaide presence on his ship. Maybe Timothy or Gibbs could give him a better option. Jack picked his way across the deck.

Timothy looked up from a list as Jack approached. "We are nearly finished, sir. It should not take more then twenty more minutes to transfer the last of the cargo to your ship." Timothy's voice was bitter. Jack under stood that, it was hard for a man to loose his ship. Especially when he had to watch it slowly sink into the depths of the sea. "Have the men finished with the Captain's cabin? She would not want any thing left behind."

"They should be finished about the time you are…what is your last name man or am I to call you Timothy like Adelaide?" Jack asked briskly. He was watching the progress of the cargo being lifted between the two ships. Adelaide had taken quite a few ships he thought as he eyed the cargo. How had she managed only to take those with high quality cargo?

"Timothy works fine." That was all Timothy said as he looked at Jack. His eyes narrowed when he saw the portrait in Jack's hand. "Captain Adelaide does not like her things touched, Mr. Sparrow."

"_Captain_, it is Captain Sparrow. And I do believe she will have to deal with it as all of her things will have to be touched to be moved to the _Pearl_. Other wise they will be going down with this ship." That shut Timothy's mouth. Jack grinned. "I was wondering if you would be so kind as to tell me who exactly is featured in this portrait. It caught my eye and I seem to remember Elizabeth saying that Adelaide was an only child."

Timothy took the portrait and studied it carefully. "I believe this was given to her grace by her friend Lady Emily last Christmas as a gift. It is of her and her siblings, minus her oldest brother, Earl of Exbridge. The captain and Lady Emily spend a great deal of time together when Adelaide is in England. She took Elizabeth's place as her best friend when the Swanns left for Jamaica. Along with the Montcliffe girls they cause quite the stir in the _ton_ according to rumors."

"Really," Jack answered absently as he studied the portrait once more. It seemed that he had quite a lot of unanticipated surprises to deal with in regards to Adelaide. If she was this closely attached to the Exbridge hoard it could prove difficult for him later. He put those thoughts aside. He had more pressing matters to think of. He needed to get the _Pearl_ on the move. The sooner they got way from these waters the sooner Adelaide would get the medical attention she needed. He watched the last of Adelaide's things being carried across the planks between the two ships. The _Dove_ was rapidly loosing its sitting on the water. They needed to get away from here before she went down. Jack did not want to risk any damage to the _Pearl_ from the _Dove_'s masts as the ship sank. With silent Timothy he swung over to the _Pearl_. Jack ordered the crew to get the _Pearl_ underway. "Gibbs, set the course for Port Royal. Head for the docks, not the bay we normally put into."

"Port Royal, Jack, the commodore will blow us to bits before we could even get close to the docks. That won't help the young miss none." He ducked his head slightly at Jack's sharp gaze.

"Then we will have to run up a flag of truce then won't we? Norrington should be curious enough to want to meet with me before he opens fire. Don't worry, mate."

"Aye, Captain."

"And it would be more like smithereens rather than bits, Gibbs." Jack swaggered back towards his cabin. Cotton stood as he entered. Jack looked at the old pirate blandly. "Any change in her condition?"

Cotton shook his head silently. His tongue had been cut out by pirates years before. Jack moved over to Adelaide's side. He picked up her hand. He could feel the heat move from her hand to his. She was still with him. Cotton's parrot squawked loudly. "Steady as she goes."

Jack jumped slightly at the bird's opinion. He glared at it. Damned bird was a nuisance. He wished he could get the damned thing off his ship but Cotton was very attached to the cretin. Oh the crosses he had to bear to keep this crew…

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Okay girls sorry for this taking so long…and I am not quite as comfortable with the quality of this chapter but I thought I had left you guys hanging long enough…I might make changes if I can't make this work…I need reviews so I can move on with this story…

Thank you all my reviewers: **TwistsofShadows,** and** Skystrike26** are my newest editions…and of course all of my faithful:** Freak in Corner, Immortal Captain Young, Elonna**, **TriGemini, lissa james, Rebel-Ravenclaw, Mean Girl, Nova Viper**,** tvmademma, Down2MarsGirl, jennifer123**


	11. Bits or Smithereens

Usual Disclaimers…I own nothing and have no hope of ever doing so…author standing on a sidewalk with a sign "Will Write for Food"

**Chapter 11: Bits or Smithereens**

Adelaide slipped in and out of consciousness. When she was lucid, she realized that she was not in her cabin. Her surroundings were unfamiliar, yet many of her possessions were scattered around. She recognized the drapes drawn closed on the windows as the ones she had personally chosen years ago. The portrait of Lady Emily was on the table near the bed. The sheets felt familiar, but they were the wrong color, she thought absently. She could have sworn that hers were red and these were dark blue. At one point she saw her sword hanging from a peg near the door. When she woke again it was gone. The ship didn't feel right. It didn't move like the _Midnight's Dove_. These inconsistencies shifted around in her muddled brain. It hurt to try to move, to think. Once when she woke she could swear there was an old pirate leaning over her with the most obnoxious bird on his shoulder. Another time it was Jack. That confused her enough to welcome the black oblivion of unconsciousness.

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She was on fire. Adelaide could feel the flames pulsing under her skin. She had to ease this feeling. Although knives of pain shot through her chest, she tried to rip the layers of blankets off of her body. Hands grabbed hers, forcing them to release the blankets. She struggled against the hands holding her down, succeeding only in causing pain to sear through her whole body. With a whimper she collapsed back onto the bed. She summoned what was left of her strength to open her eyes. Jack was leaning over her, his hands tenderly holding her down and his face disturbingly close to hers. The light from a lantern reflected in his dark eyes.

"Now, luv, you can't go kicking and pushing around like that or you will rip Cotton's neat stitch work. He is partial to neatness, wouldn't want to be upsetting the doctor now would we? That is never a sound decision in regards to a person's health." While he prattled on Jack shifted her gently back onto her pillow and began tucking the blankets snuggly around her. Adelaide tried to follow his conversation but she couldn't. The heat was slowly and completely suffocating her. She felt as if the air she was breathing was hot thick liquid.

Adelaide opened her mouth to shout her protest to Jack's actions. All she managed was a harsh whisper, "Hot."

The sound of her voice stilled Jack's hands. He lifted a hand to feel her cheek. He cursed harshly at what he found. In two strides he was at the cabin door shouting for cold water. Her eyes flew open when the blankets were ripped off the bed. Thankful for the cool air that relieved some of the heat she felt Adelaide sighed. Adelaide closed her eyes hoping to slip back into sleep. She didn't register the sounds of the crewmen bringing in the water and pouring it into a large brass tub. Or the sound of the door closing as they left. She felt Jack's hands brush against her as he began to methodically removing her clothing.

She did not have the strength to fight him and welcomed the further relief from the heat as they were pulled away from her body. She was almost asleep once more when Jack took her into his arms. Wanting only to rest, she ignored him. Jack carried her across the room and stepped, fully clothed, into the tub. Steeling himself against the cold he sat down and settled Adelaide into his lap.

The water of the bath was a shock to her whole system. She tried to scream but it only came out as a pitiful whimper. Jack shifted her on his lap so that her back was leaning up against his chest. He used his hands to pour water over Adelaide's shoulders. She tried to pull away from him but the attempt drained her of what little strength she had. She collapsed against Jack. She resigned herself to the fact that she was going to die soaking wet caught between being freezing cold and unbelievably hot. And in the arms of the man who should be her greatest rival.

Jack distracted her when he spoke. "I am sorry, Addy-girl. We need to bring down your fever. Your wound is blessedly free of infection but we can't risk having you burn up with fever."

He continued to talk in low soothing tones. Adelaide lost track of what he was actually saying until she heard the words 'Port Royal' quite clearly. "What—what did you say?"

Her voice was coming back Jack noticed. But she was still unable to pay attention to a conversation. He was having a hard time of it too. It took all his concentration to keep his hands from touching her. The fact that she was injured was the only thing that stopped him. And he was tempted to ignore it. After all he was only human and she was sitting naked and wet in his lap. "I said that we are about one day out of Port Royal so you will soon be in the care of a qualified physician instead of a mute pirate medic."

"Port Royal! Jack you can't just sail into the harbor. Norrington will have you arrested and hung before sundown."

"I am, as always, touched by your faith in my abilities, my dear."

"Jack, you could be the best pirate in the world and it would still be suicide to sail straight into a navy port."

"Could be? Darling, I _am_ the best pirate in the world."

"Don't make me laugh, it hurts. And don't try to distract me. What good is it for you to try to break my fever if you are just going to kill me tomorrow?"

"Why would I kill you when you are the key to my survival?"

"What sense does that make?"

"Norrington would not open fire on the ship that is holding the governor's niece. And I plan to play heavily on that fact."

"That only works if he knows I am on board. And he is laboring under the assumption that I am well on my way back to England. So that brings us back to being blown to bits."

"As I commented earlier to Gibbs, it would be smithereens, not bits. I know Norrington well enough to know he would rather see me hung than die fighting. Not to mention he would want to know what would cause me to sail straight into the harbor when I could easily slip into the town unnoticed."

"I still say it is suicide."

"That would be why I am captain of this vessel and you are not." Jack regretted his statement as soon as the words were out of his mouth. What was it about this woman that made him loose control so easily? He hadn't wanted to have the subject of the _Midnight's Dove_ come up until she was well on the way to recovery. Damn it, he wished he had held his temper. He waited for her to ask the question. Adelaide merely leaned her head back against his chest. The silence hung heavily in the air. To busy himself Jack shifted Adelaide to the other side of the tub and stood. He grabbed one of the towels he had placed near the tub and stepped out. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't even think about moving until I come back."

Adelaide gave him a half-hearted glare and closed her eyes. The water was ice cold but she welcomed the break from the heat of the fever. Even the short argument with Jack had exhausted her. She heard Jack moving around the cabin. She lifted one lid to see what he was doing. She was greeted with an enticing view of his bare back. His wiry frame was surprisingly muscular. While Adelaide watched, Jack loosened his belt and began to strip off his pants. Adelaide shut her eyes tightly. Appealing as the view was she was in no condition to start anything with Jack. And she had a feeling that if Jack caught her watching him that would be precisely what happened. Well maybe it wouldn't hurt to peak. Adelaide leaned her head back on the tub and proceeded to take in the show, watching from below her lashes.

Jack let his breath out in a frustrated hiss as he jerked open the drawer that held his dry linen shirts. Did she think that he could not feel her gaze? Ignoring Adelaide was costing him dearly. Never before had Jack bothered to try and act in a gentlemanly fashion. It had never mattered. Whores did not need to be wooed or handled with kid gloves. Neither did the occasional widow or married woman that Jack had been known to dally with while in various ports. Adelaide was different, and for some reason the escaped him, Jack was struggling to remember the long-forgotten rules of decorum that his mother had drummed into his brain at an early age. Rules he had promptly forgotten in favor of survival when he began his life on the sea. And the effort was costing him dearly. If he didn't get a hold of himself he was going to do something he was sure he would regret when his thinking returned.

Adelaide watched Jack's jerky movements as he pulled a shirt over his head. His shoulders are so tense, she thought. She snapped her eyes shut when he turned back toward her. She felt his eyes on her face. She hoped her cheeks weren't burning up with blush as she suspected they were. Mentally shaking herself, she reminded herself that she had no reason to be embarrassed by the fact she lay naked for Jack to see. Hadn't she just been taking advantage of his lack of clothing moments before? Well she might as well take her fair share and meet his gaze.

When Adelaide opened her eyes Jack smirked. Her neck stiffened at his expression. What did he think he was laughing at? It was not like he was an example of bodily perfection. Hell, he had a scar that traveled down his arm from elbow to wrist, spidering across his forearm. There were two scars from bullets on his chest and on his right wrist he bore the pirate brand from the East India Trading Company. When Adelaide's gaze returned to Jack's face he raised an eyebrow. "Are you finished with your review? Am I up to snuff?"

"I was just trying to figure out what exactly so many people are afraid of, when I look at you a see a skinny pompous pirate with delusions of grandeur. Honestly, Jack, Do you think that you will be able to sail bold as brass into Port Royal and Norrington will refrain from blowing the ship to smithereens before he bothers to ask any questions?"

"My dear, as I said before, Norrington would not deprive himself of the pleasure of watching me dangling at the end of a rope. And don't think that our little Elizabeth would stand quietly while Norrington blew us to bits. I would bet good money that she will be at the fort shortly after word gets out that we have been sighted in the area. My only hope is that Gillette and the _Dauntless_ are not in port or we may have more of a problem on our hands then we are bargaining for."

"We? You use that term rather loosely for my tastes, Sparrow. This is a temporary situation, us being on the same ship. As soon as we reach Port Royal, we part ways." Adelaide tried to cross her arms over her chest to give herself the feeling of a barrier between her thoughts and Jack's gaze. She inhaled sharply at the spear of pain that ran deep into her chest.

Jack was across the room in three strides. Bending down to scoop her out of the tub he muttered, "You twit, you had a blade thrust through your chest less then a week ago and you don't have the senses not to squeeze the wound? If you rip any of Cotton's stitches you will have to be conscious when he sews you back together this time. Maybe then you will think before you pick a fight with me."

"Pick a fight with you? How, exactly, was I picking a fight with you, _Captain_ Sparrow?" Adelaide's chin lifted as she gave him a derisive look. When Jack placed her back on the bed she immediately pulled the sheet over her body. Feeling fortified, she faced Jack, ready to continue their argument.

"You know very well that implying that our relationship will end when we arrive in Port Royal would aggravate me and you said it to deliberately provoke me into an argument. While I usually enjoy going toe to toe with you I am not in the mood for it at the moment." Jack gestured vaguely as he started to leave.

"Relationship? What relationship, Sparrow?" Adelaide threw back at him. "We had a business dealing together, and that is all. I am grateful for your assistance in fighting the _Hunter_ but I will not allow you to use that circumstance to weasel your way into my life. You do not, by any means, have the right to make my decisions for me."

Jack's face clouded with fury as he stepped closer to the bed. "Have you forgotten, my dear Adelaide, the conditions of our _business dealings_? I haven't. I seem to remember that if I happen to emerge the victor your decisions will in fact be made through me." Jack paused and leaned so that his face was close to Adelaide's. "And you would do well to remember that the wager is far from finished."

"The conditions of the wager are that I will occupy your bed until you no longer want me there. No where in the wager did we say that you controlled every aspect of my life during the time I spent in your bed." Adelaide shut her eyes, prepared to ignore any thing else that Jack said.

Jack's bottled up fury darkened and struggled to break free from his hold. In a brief short-lived fantasy, he imagined his hands wrapped around her throat. Yes, he believed that at this moment he could strangle the woman, quite cheerfully. She was more obstinate then a mule. She couldn't even give him an inch. Why was he getting himself entangled with a woman like her? All she did was tie him in knots, and rile his temper. What was this almost instinctive need to protect her? This obsessive need to be near her? This couldn't be healthy…maybe here fever was catching. Was that even possible?

Jack shook his head to clear it of these crazy thoughts. He took a deep breath to give Adelaide a piece of his mind, but when he opened his eyes she was asleep, her breath coming softly. With a sigh of frustration Jack sat on the edge of the bunk. He laid his hand against her cheek. Adelaide sighed in her sleep and turned into Jack's hand. Jack pressed his other hand against his chest and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He forced himself to stand up, dim the lanterns, and slip from the room. Maybe there still was cargo to move below decks because Jack was not going to be getting any sleep tonight.

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Alrighty then…. It has been like 6 months…two hurricanes…one semester freezing my ass off in Boston…Here is the actual ending of this chapter. And there will be another chapter by next Monday I SWEAR! I hope I haven't lost too many of you guys.


	12. A Civil Confrontation

Usual Disclaimers. I own only the twisted seeds that sprouted out of my warped mind. Everything that is recognizable is property of the Mouse.

Writer dodges things thrown at her from her readers I know I have not been the best at keeping updated but I am gonna finish this thing if it kills me so let's head to Port Royal and see if Jack was right about the smithereens or if Adelaide was right about the bits.

Sees stars when hit on the head by the binding of a book sailing across the room. Shakes her head slowly looks at the crowd…Mom? I'd know that throw from anywhere.

**Chapter 12: A Civil Confrontation**

Elizabeth and Will heard the call signaling an attack in the harbor when they were in what would soon be Will's sword smith shop. They had just recently bought the property situated on the edge of the docks the day before. Elizabeth had been ecstatic when the location had become available. It would be one of the first things that those arriving in Port Royal would pass when they disembarked from their travels.

Before Will could stop her, Elizabeth darted out the door. Quick on his feet, Will caught up with Elizabeth before she made it all the way to the docks. He grabbed her arm. "Elizabeth, are you crazy? The port is under attack."

Elizabeth tugged on his arm when he tried to pull her back towards the storefront. "Will, _look_. It is the _Black Pearl_. It is Jack. Something has to be wrong. He wouldn't sail directly into the port, otherwise. Even he would know its suicide."

"Crazy Idiot," Will murmured and then looked at Elizabeth. "We have to get to Norrington before he blows Jack out of the water."

Elizabeth dug her heels in again when Will tried to drag her behind him as he started toward the fort. "Will, think about it. Norrington won't open fire first. The _Pearl_ is flying a truce flag. It is against navy regulations to open fire on an enemy ship that is flying a truce flag—no matter what. Norrington would be the last one to break regulations concerning Jack. He wants him out right, no technicalities to get Jack's head out of the hangman's noose again. We are more likely to catch Norrington at the docks before he rows out to the _Pearl_."

"How is it you are always right?" Will asked exasperated as he changed directions once more.

"It's a gift," Elizabeth panted as she lifted her skirts higher to run.

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They made it to the docks just as Norrington was lowering himself into one of the ship's boats. He gave Will a resigned look. He settled himself into the bow of the boat. "Murtogg, assist Mistress Turner into the boat. Both she and her husband have a vested interest in the outcome of this meeting."

When Will and Elizabeth were settled into the boat, it shoved off. Midway out to the _Pearl_, Will could see that the deck was bustling with crewmembers apparently rigging up a boson's chair. He noticed that Norrington had realized this as well. It would seem that Jack either had visitors on board, or wounded. Will caught the rope ladder that was thrown for them. He helped Elizabeth start up and then quickly followed. Murtogg, Norrington, and then the rest of the marines followed close behind.

The scene that greeted them on the deck of the _Black Pearl_ almost made Will burst out laughing. Jack and his crew were assembled in order of rank. Jack stood in the front of them all dressed to the nines. He was wearing a pristine white shirt open at the collar, black pants, and a wide red sash at the waist. This look was topped off by a dark green coat and a red bandana that held back his hair. His hair had grown back and was back to its normal braids and beads. His beard was working its way back to being full again. To Will, it looked as though Jack was trying to look like the stereotypical pirate captain. Down to the sword at his waist and the pistol tucked in the sash. Jack stood feet braced against the roll of the ship, with his arms behind his back. He leveled Norrington a derisive look, "Commodore."

Norrington answered in the same sardonic tone, "Sparrow."

The silence continued until Norrington's patience ran out. His voice was hard and his tone short when he said, "What do you want Sparrow? What possible reason can you give for being in Port Royal?"

"Simple, I am in need of a qualified physician."

"You don't look in ill health."

"Don't you wish it was for me? No, I think you would rather have me die in a hangman's noose then in a sick bed."

"Right the first time."

"Well, you won't be getting either at the moment."

"Out with it, Sparrow."

"I have found myself in possession of the governor's niece and I would like to rid myself of that burden. Not for free mind you, but rid my ship of her just the same." Jack said flippantly.

Elizabeth started forward at that statement, "Adelaide!"

"Don't worry yourself Elizabeth. I would not harm a hair on her head, no matter how much she tempts me to strangle her. I managed to resist the temptation," Jack gestured absently. "But before we hand her over I'll be wanting a few things from you, Commodore."

"Must I repeat myself, Sparrow?" Norrington exhaled impatiently, "State your piece and get the hell out of my harbor."

"I am needing safe anchorage as it were. And since I have friends in these parts I would like for Port Royal to be me newest port of call. For that to happen I think papers certifying the _Black Pearl_ as an English privateer should be drawn up. That way we all get what we want. Elizabeth and Governor Swann get the Duchess back and the _Black Pearl_ remains in one piece for the time being."

"For that to happen the Governor has to make that decision not I." Norrington took a deep breath. "First we will need verification that her grace is in fact on broad your ship."

"Elizabeth can do that now. In the mean time, send one of your men to fetch the governor."

"Murtogg, take the boat back to shore and return with the governor. I am sure by now word has reached him of the _Pearl's_ presence in the harbor. He will no doubt be at the docks." Norrington did not like having his hands tied this way. It was infuriating to know that Jack had done nothing that constituted a breech of the truce flag his ship was flying. It also didn't sit well with him that he was negotiating with a pirate, or that the pirate had the upper hand.

Silence fell heavily over the deck. Neither Norrington nor Jack wanted to break the other's gaze. Fed up with what she saw as a useless battle of wills, Elizabeth stepped forward. "I want to see Adelaide, Jack."

Jack spoke without turning his head. "Timothy, if you and Gibbs would be so kind as to show Mistress Turner to my cabin and make sure Adelaide is prepared for the trip to shore."

Both men stepped forward immediately. The trio walked across the deck and disappeared into the captain's cabin. Shortly after that, with a great deal of huffing and puffing, Governor Swann pulled himself up the ladder onto the deck. He was in a state of disarray. His wig was off center and tufts were sticking out of what normally would be perfectly coiffed curls. Will had not seen him in such a state since when the navy had engaged Barbosa's pirates at the Isla de la Muerta.

"Commodore Norrington, I hope there is a satisfactory explanation as to why this ship is in my harbor, not mention why I have been drug out here with such haste." Governor Swann was obviously trying for stern but with his appearance coupled with his being out of breath, it just did not work.

"Captain Sparrow has expressed a want of privateer certification. For that I believe he must speak to you not me," Norrington said dryly. Norrington did not like this. There was something going on that he had not caught on to. Something was nagging at the back of his mind. He hated the fact that Sparrow was forcing his hand. And there was nothing he could do about it.

"Commodore, surely you are jesting. There is no way I can give this man certification. Do you know how long the list of charges against him is? You should, you levied a great many of them against him yourself." The governor was blustering, stalling so he could figure out what the correct decision could be. When he got no more response out of Norrington, Governor Swann turned to contemplate Jack. "What could you possibly think would qualify you for privateer status, Mr. Sparrow?"

"That's _Captain_ Sparrow, milord. And, dear sir, I have your own gratitude that would absolve me of any offense prior to this meeting." Jack gave the governor a mock salute and grinned at Will.

"My gratitude? For what? I didn't pardon you after you saved my daughter's life, what could mean more than that?" Swann huffed and once more tried to right his wig.

"Why saving a member of the kings own family from certain death, of course. Your niece, Adelaide, is at this very moment residing in my cabin. That would be what I think qualifies me to be a privateer for His Majesty. Fair trade, in my mind, her life for mine, don't you think Commodore?"

Governor Swann brought up his hand to cut off Norrington's reply to Jack's barb. "What I think, Captain Sparrow, is that you will have papers validating your privateer status for His Majesty within the hour."

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Adelaide was barely conscious when they moved her from Jack's bunk onto the litter that would carry her ashore. The fever that Jack had tried to ward off days before was in full force. She had been coherent enough to realize that she was being moved and that there was a cool hand against her cheek. Even the gentle movements of the crew placing her on the litter caused pain to course through her chest. Protesting this disturbance, she called out for Jack.

Will had never seen Jack move as quickly as he did when Adelaide called for him. He was across the deck and disappearing into the cabin before Norrington could voice his objection. The governor sputtered his bafflement, loudly demanding to know why his niece would want to see a pirate over her own family. What emerged from the cabin astonished all who were present.

Here was the great Captain Jack Sparrow walking slowly out next to a litter that the crewmen were carrying out as delicately as possible. The woman in the litter clung to Jack's hand like it was a lifeline. Elizabeth walked along the opposite side running her hand along Adelaide's brow. The difference in Adelaide from the strong, confident woman Will had watched sail away from Port Royal a month before and this frail woman on the litter shook Will. What had happened to her? What had Jack done?

Apparently the governor's thought process had gone along the same lines a Will's. He started blustering again. His face turned a mottled red. "Sparrow! What is the meaning of this? What have you done to my niece?"

"I saved her life. If not for me she and her crew would have been slaughtered and left to go down with her ship. Now can we please save this charming little scene of self-righteous indignation until after we have Adelaide ashore and properly attended by a physician?"

That shut Governor Swann up quickly. Norrington sprang into action calling orders out to both his marines and members of Jack's crew. Surprisingly the crew men obeyed. They knew that Jack wanted Captain Adelaide resting comfortably as soon as possible, even if that meant obeying a naval officer.

When they hoisted the litter up into the boson's chair, Adelaide refused to release her hold of Jack's hand. Jack had to climb on to the litter and be lowered to the waiting ship's boat. All conversation, except for orders ceased. It was as though the governor and Norrington had decided that Jack was right. Their argument could wait until Adelaide was safely in bed and under the care of a licensed physician.

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When their entourage had reached the governor's mansion Swann headed straight to his library. At the door he turned and looked again at Adelaide and at Jack who was still following at the side of Adelaide's litter. Adelaide had lost consciousness on the wagon ride from the docks to the mansion. She no longer clung to Jack's hand as she had on the deck on the _Black Pearl_.

Looking at his niece, what was left of the color in Swann's face drained away. He brought his gaze back to meet Jack's and clenched his jaw. "I would like to see you in my library, Sparrow, at once!"

"We can meet on the bloody roof for all I care governor, but I will see Adelaide settled first." Jack continued up the stairs with the litter.

Jack paused at the base of the stairs to compose himself before continuing on to the governor's library. His thoughts were still above stairs where Elizabeth and the doctor were attending to Adelaide. Despite his best efforts he had been unable to ward off the fever that had racked her small body for the past two days. Their argument three nights before was the last coherent conversation that they had had on their voyage. A storm had blown in keeping them from reaching Port Royal as quickly as Jack had hoped. His only hope at this point was that it was not too late and that the doctor that the governor had called would be able to battle this fever with more luck than Cotton.

With a fortifying breath, Jack pulled open the door to the library. Governor Swann sat at his desk staring at a snifter of brandy. Both Norrington and Will had glasses of the liquor as well. Norrington stood at the French doors staring out over the lawn, swirling his brandy. Will was seated on a settee. He was leaning forward with both his elbows on his knees, holding the brandy in both hands. He contemplated the liquor as though if he looked hard enough he would find what he was looking for. All three men looked toward the doorway as Jack entered the room.

Jack went straight to the sideboard that held the decanters of alcohol. I quickly scanned the governor's array of spirits. No rum, Jack thought dejectedly. He poured himself a tumbler with three fingers of whiskey and quickly drank it down. With out a word he poured himself a second glass and then went to set next to Will on the settee. All four men let the silence stretch out for many minutes until Jack chuckled softly.

"What could you possibly find amusing at this juncture, Sparrow?" Norrington said turning from the window.

"Must I remind you again, Commodore? It is _Captain_ Sparrow." Jack took a swallow of his whiskey and met Norrington's gaze. "I find this assembly highly amusing. If anyone had told me even a week ago that I would be sitting in the Governor's library sharing a civilized drink with both you and Governor Swann, I would have laughed so hard that I fell out of my chair. Admit it; this is a rather unlikely turn of events."

With it put that way, Norrington was forced to grin as well. His expression sobered quickly. "I have waited long enough for an explanation of how Lady Adelaide ended up on your vessel, Captain Sparrow." He sighed and settled into one of the chairs adjacent to the settee. "I believe we all have."

In quick, concise terms Jack outlined how the _Black Pearl_ had come upon the _Hunter_ attacking the _Midnight's Dove_. He gave the important points of the battle itself, describing how the crew of the _Midnight's Dove_ had fought hard and held their own against the overwhelming numbers of the _Hunter_'s crew. He paused when he began to describe the fight between Adelaide and Edgeworth. His fingers gripped the tumbler of whiskey until his knuckles went white. "That bastard was out for blood, Adelaide's. When he pushed his blade through her chest he had already disarmed her and she was defenseless. His point in attacking was simple. He wanted Adelaide's death and didn't care how he went about getting it."

Jack took another swallow of his whiskey. He looked at Will, Norrington, and Governor Swann separately. "Now can any of you tell me who hates Adelaide enough to send such a blackheart after her?"


	13. A Compromising Situation

Usual Disclaimers. I own nothing...plans to take over the world and buy the rights to both Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp…on schedule.

Okay this should get posted within a day of the last chapter as it is almost finished when I post Chapter 12….

**Chapter 13: A Compromising Situation**

The day dawned clear and bright, and for the third day in a row Adelaide wondered at the fact that she was alive. She sat wrapped in a thick cotton blanket she had taken from her bed in the suite in the governor's mansion. Her fever had broken in the middle of her first night back in Port Royal. After being confined to her bed for the following days, Adelaide had slipped out of bed early. She sat watching the sun come up because she knew it was too early for any of the rest of the household to be stirring. Well any of the household that would be giving her problems for being out of bed.

She was sitting on the same balcony she had pushed Jack off of barely a month ago. God, had it been only a month? So much had changed. The _Midnight's Dove_ was gone and a whole section of her life was over.

Adelaide turned her head to rest it on her shoulder and look out over the harbor. The _Black Pearl_ sat next to the dock, her black sails waving in the slight breeze. She was no worse for the wear. The damage from the fight with the _Hunter_ had been repaired and she was in pristine condition once more. It was ironic, Adelaide thought. It was almost as if nothing could destroy that ship. Ten years of being under a curse, and almost two years of fighting French and Spanish merchants and running from the English Navy, and she looked as though she had just come out of the shipwright's yard.

Adelaide watched as the gold and red bled across the sky. Quickly the cool of night was burning off into that promised to be another sweltering day. Soon it wouldn't even be cool for the nights. Adelaide had been looking forward to sleeping on the deck of the _Midnight's Dove_, taking advantage of the winds on the sea after a hot summer's day. Now she was confined to sitting on a balcony watching the sea. Adelaide used the corners of the blanket to wipe away tears that began to course down her cheeks. It was like her whole world was changing and she could do nothing to stop it.

Adelaide jumped at the sound of the vines on the trellis shifting. She started to laugh at herself for being jumpy but then a hand reached up to grab the edge of the balcony. She recoiled, her hand instinctively going to her waist for her sword. But her sword wasn't there. For one panic filled moment she had visions of Edgeworth sneaking into port, getting through the security surrounding the governor's mansion and climbing the trellis to her balcony just to finish what he tried to do on the deck of the _Midnight's Dove_. A boot swung up to join the two hands that were gripping the stone edge. Adelaide looked around franticly for some sort of weapon to defend herself with. Then she saw the top of the person's head begin to rise up into view. Jack.

Adelaide stood slowly and walked to the edge of the balcony. She leaned causally on the railing. "I should just step on your fingers and save myself the energy of throwing you off the balcony again."

Jack's head shot up at her voice. "Now, Addy, why would you be wanting to do that?" he said with a grunt as he pulled himself up further. He reached up with one hand and grabbed the railing. Adelaide sighed in defeat. There was no getting rid of him now. They both knew that she did not have the strength to throw him off the balcony like she did last time. He would be here until he decided to leave. Adelaide just hoped that whatever he had to say would be over with quickly. She was in no mood for company, least of all Jack's. Resigned, Adelaide turned back to her chair and carefully lowered her self back into a comfortable position. She had a feeling it would take a while to get rid of Jack.

Jack pulled himself the rest of the way over the railing with an exaggerated grunt. He made a production of patting the dust off of his clothing as well. As intended this exploit made Adelaide laugh. So did Jack's chosen garments for the day. He had on a blood red silk shirt, a canary yellow sash around his waist and coal black pants and boots. He had a matching yellow bandana holding back his braids. Over all he made a very dashing picture of the pirate captain.

"It must be killing poor James not to be able to hang you." Adelaide grinned at Jack.

"Poor James? Poor James? I haven't seen you in almost three days and the first things you have to say to me is to threaten to step on my fingers and bemoan the fact that I do not have a hangman's noose around my neck." Jack leaned back against the railing and huffed indignantly. "Poor James, indeed."

"Come, now Jack you must admit that you are dressing in that fashion to rub more salt into the Commodore's wounded pride that you are not only allowed in port but now being hallowed a hero by the townsfolk for 'rescuing' the niece of the governor, a relative of the king as well. By dressing so flamboyantly you are obviously just trying to annoy Norrington further." Adelaide's grin widened. "And for the rest of us it is highly amusing. Elizabeth and I were laughing about it yesterday afternoon as a matter a fact."

"How would you know how I have been dressing as I have not been permitted to see you in the last few days?" Jack asked. "Could it be that you have developed an obsession with my body? That you must know how it is clothed?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Sparrow," Adelaide said dryly as she readjusted the fold of her wrapper and settled the blanket securely around her shoulders. It was better to give Jack no temptation. "Your choice of wardrobe is only and will only ever be a source of amusement."

"Be still my beating heart." Jack placed a hand over his heart dramatically clutching it as if he had been dealt a fatal blow. Then he grinned at Adelaide. "One of these days I am going to take your sarcastic barbs seriously and leave. Then where will that leave our relationship? It would be rather hard to carry out if we are hundreds of miles apart."

"I would like to state for the record once more that we do not have a relationship, Jack." Adelaide stood slowly and walked very carefully to the edge of the balcony. She braced herself against the railing. Her eyes scanned the harbor. "We had what could loosely be described as a business arrangement and more accurately called a bet. Neither fall into what current dictionary define the word 'relationship' to be."

Adelaide swayed against the railing as her strength started to fade. Arguing with Jack took all of her concentration and she had to admit that she had yet to recover from her injury. That fact alone frustrated her almost as much as Jack did. Adelaide had never been weak in her life and she had no idea how to handle this situation. She needed to get out of Port Royal, off of Jamaica, and the hell out of Caribbean waters. Neither she nor her crewmen would be safe as long as Edgeworth was in the region and actively searching for her. But the problem remained, how was she supposed to take care of a ship full of men when she was as weak as a kitten and she no longer had a ship?

Adelaide shook herself out of her thoughts. What she needed to do immediately was go back into bed because her strength was almost completely drained. If she didn't sit or lie down she was going to fall down. That was the last thing she was going to allow Jack to witness. She could not remember much of her time on the _Pearl_ but from simple deductions she knew Jack had been the one to care for her when she was raging with fever. That she did not know what had transpired between them made her uncomfortable.

Adelaide turned and started slowly toward the French doors that lead back into her room. Jack rose from his chair and took her arm, assisting her into the room and into the bed. So much for not letting him know how drained she was. Adelaide thought dejectedly.

After Adelaide was situated comfortably in the bed, Jack sat down on the edge and looked at her. "Adelaide," he started and then seemed to think better of it. He stood, walked to the doors and then turned back around to look at her. "Why have I been barred from your room these last three days?"

"Barred? You would have been as welcome as any other visitor, Jack. I am bored out of my wits cooped up in this room. You are the one who chose not to come." Adelaide was shocked by his question. She had wondered why he had chosen to climb his way into her room but attributed it to the randomness that was Jack's personality.

"Adelaide, have you not tried to leave this room? There are two marines posted at the door." Jack paced back to the bed. "They are only allowing Elizabeth, Will if he is accompanying her, Norrington, your uncle, and of course the doctor into your chambers. They do not even allow a maid to bring you your meals. Think back. It has been Elizabeth, accompanied often by your uncle or young William, who has brought you all of your meals since you left the _Pearl_. Why do you think that Timothy has not been to see you?"

"I don't understand. Why would Norrington keep me under surveillance?"

"Not Norrington, luv, your uncle ordered the guard. I do believe he worries that either I will try and kidnap you or Edgeworth will try to come after you here." Jack sat back down at the edge of the bed. When he spoke again, it was contemplative. "Not that guarding your room from the hallway would do any good. As we both can see you can be accessed from the balcony easily enough."

"Or more likely, my loving but naïve uncle did not think that you would be that adamant about seeing me against his wishes after you called me…what was it? Oh yes…a burden you wished to rid yourself of as quickly as possible?" Adelaide grinned when Jack had the decency to look uncomfortable.

He rubbed a hand over his face and mumbled, "Elizabeth needs to learn to keep her lovely little mouth shut once in a while. One would think that in the throes of newly wedded bliss she would have more pressing matters on her mind then to be repeating to you every word I say verbatim."

"Again I must state that I have been in the throes of boredom in the past few days. Your comments amused me to no end…especially I know to what ends you went to ensure I would remain on your ship if I lost our wager." Adelaide lapsed into silence after that comment. She mulled what she had said. Why was she going out of her way to assure Jack that his comments had not offended her in the least? What did it matter if he thought her offended? And why did if feel as though a weight had been lifted from her chest when he gave her a relieved expression? Why was she talking to herself? Was she that bored?

Adelaide cleared her throat delicately. "Was there a particularly pressing matter you needed to speak with me about Jack? One that would induce you to climb the side of the house?"

Jack looked away from Adelaide and cleared his own throat. He was acting like a shy teenage boy trying to talk to a girl for the first time and was starting to annoy himself. He was over thirty years old for God's sake and a pirate to boot. There was no reason this small woman should be giving him a moment's pause other than how to get her into his bed. He should not be worrying over her feelings. Why should he care if she misconstrued what he had said on the deck of the _Black Pearl_?

Jack shook himself out of his thoughts and met Adelaide's gaze once more. "I wanted to make sure the governor's reports on your health were true and not just wishful thinking. You spent the better part of three days in a delirious fever aboard the _Pearl_. Forgive me if I don't believe that you made a miraculous recovery when I am being refused to see you. Timothy and I both had worries that we were being lied to about your condition. He was of a mind to push through your guards. I thought it would be better for me to sneak in then for your first mate to get thrown into jail."

"So you are here for Timothy's sake? Funny but I wasn't aware you two were all that fond of each other." Adelaide suppressed a giggle. It was reassuring that she was not the only one feeling ridiculous. Something about this conversation, how they both were circling around saying anything concrete, made her feel sixteen again. They were acting like idiots. But she was not going to be the first to bring it up, on the off chance that she was reading his reactions wrong. _Oh Lord_, Adelaide thought, _if that wasn't an asinine thought if there ever was one_.

"We have declared a temporary truce in order to engage in a mutual dislike of Norrington, or Poor James as you so eloquently put it." Jack contemplated Adelaide's face for a moment, hoping to get some idea of her feelings on the subject. "As to Edgeworth…" Jack trailed off when Adelaide's eyes sharpened. "Do you think that his sneaking into port is a threat we need to consider?"

Her voice was frosty when she answered, "I would doubt the man would have the guts to try something that required any amount of fortitude. He attacked the _Dove_ after we had already engaged another ship in battle and he doubled the number of his crew so that we would be out numbered."

Jack waited. Since she did not continue Jack cleared his throat. He laid his hand over hers. "You know it was deliberate Addy, don't you?"

"I am beginning to think it was." Adelaide took a deep breath. "But that makes no sense Jack. Why would he follow me across an ocean to attack my ship? How was he to know where to look for me or that the _Midnight's Dove_ would still be in Caribbean waters? How would he finance a quest like this? From my acquaintance with Edgeworth, I know he barely has two shillings to rub together. He lives off of those he knows socially. Off of the rich widows and married women who get sucked in by his good looks and oily charm. There is no way he could finance a ship and crew to follow me here. And I highly doubt that he bought a commission in the navy. That would require work."

"So that leaves us with, who do you both know that hates you and would be willing to finance an expedition with the sole purpose of your death?" Jack waited as understanding dawned in Adelaide's eyes. "From conversations I have had with Elizabeth, Will, Timothy, and your uncle I narrowed the suspects down to your Aunt Jessica or her son, Aidan."

"Aidan would not kill me. Nor would he lower himself to consort with Edgeworth. He hates him almost as much as I do." Adelaide said quietly.

"You are not as quick to defend your aunt."

"That is because I can easily see that happening. She hates that I control every pound that goes through her fingers or that I could change who my heir is from Aidan at any time. She has this great fear that I will get married even now and have a child of my own and then Aidan would be out of luck and she would be out of funds."

"How is that possible? That the title passes through your children and not down through your Uncle Franklin to Aidan to begin with?" Jack turned her fist over, pried her fingers apart and ran his thumb over the palm of her hand.

"Franklin was my father's step-brother through my grandfather's second wife. He was not, nor is Aidan, connected to the title by blood. Franklin was a viscount through his father but Jessica wants the duchy for Aidan. She was the daughter of a country squire." Adelaide let her head fall back. "I think she has always resented the fact that Franklin was only related through marriage. According to an old family friend she had designs on my father before he married my mother and that she only agreed to marry Franklin after my parents married. I think she was willing to settle for the second son but did not realize that he was not second in line for the title."

"Surely, she would have known that Franklin was a step-child."

"I would not put it past Franklin to have lied about it to secure her agreement in marriage. He was always selfish in that way." Adelaide closed her eyes. "Most of the family friends had forgotten that Franklin was not my grandfather's son. He was so young when his mother married my grandfather. And neither Franklin nor his mother wanted to disabuse anyone of that notion."

"Lady Emily took great pride in her second marriage. She was a country sqire's daughter. I remember hearing her tell my cousins that if she could become a duchess then there was nothing to stop them from doing the same. She helped Lady Jessica foster their resent me simply because I had been born into the position to control the title. She hated me up until the day she died."

"Is every woman in your family fated to be a venomous witch?" Jack asked as he started to massage Adelaide's hand.

"Well, technically, neither of them are really my family. We are loosely related through marriage. Legally if I disinherited Aidan that would cut all ties they have to the title, the lands, and the family coffers."

"Why haven't you done that?"

"Who else would I choose as my heir? No one. There is literally no one left on my father's side of the family. Not even a long lost nephew."

"Why not Will, then?" Jack grinned mischievously

Adelaide laughed, "Oh yes, I can see Will loving to be tied down with the responsibilities of running estates and having that many lives depending on him. You really want to torture him in such a way?"

"So the only answer is for you to do exactly what Lady Jessica wants and have Aidan remain your heir? How does Aidan feel about all of this?"

"I honestly believe that Aidan could careless if he ever gained the title. He is content to be a viscount and to enjoy the pleasures of being a young nobleman in London. He has never had the ambitions of his parents or of his grandmother to climb the status ladder."

"Where does this leave us?"

"It leaves me laying here with a hole in my chest, a greedy sadistic bastard trying to kill me and pirate-turned-privateer sitting on my bed massaging my hand." Adelaide opened her eyes and flexed her fingers. "Not all that bad of a place to be from my point of view"

Jack leaned down and placed his lips over hers. Adelaide brought her other hand up to hold his head there when a discreet cough sounded in the room. Both Jack and Adelaide looked over to see Will, Elizabeth, Governor Swann, and Norrington standing in the door way of Adelaide's room. Elizabeth looked about to burst with laughter. Will looked slightly uncomfortable. The Governor looked about to explode and Norrington just looked amused.

"Sparrow," the Governor bellowed. "Would you care to explain how you came to be in my niece's bedchamber?"

okay… the first time I posted this I assumed that it was a given that you would review….apparently that was too much…I would like to thank TriGemini and Skystrike26 (on my hands and knees) for being the only two who actually have admitted that they read my swill.


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